In order to express civil  society’s concern on the Tahir-ul-Qadri’s Long March, Aurat Foundation organized a  press conference on January 15, 2013, at the Karachi Press Club.  Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, Women Action Forum President Ms Anis Haroon said that the rights groups pledged allegiance to legitimate, democratic political processes and to parliament, which is its repository.  “We reject Tahirul Qadri’s demands and all attempts at forming non-elected technocratic civil-military set-ups,” said Ms Haroon.

“As civil society, we reject all campaigns against the electoral system and condemn all attempts at its subversion by extra-constitutional forces,” said the senior activist Mehnaz Rehman, Farida Hannan, Attiya Daud, Iqbal Butt, Malka Khan, and Farhat Parveen of NOW Communities.  The speaker said advocating dismissal of the elected government was an insult to the citizens and their democratic power of the vote.  The rights activists said that the citizens of Pakistan were aware of different forms of extra-constitutional interventions and expected political parties to present a united front to respect and protect the people’s mandate.  “Tahirul Qadri is leader of a group that is not even registered as a political party and cannot legitimately challenge provisions that are a result of the democratic process,” said the activist