Mavra Bari had intended to take part in a march for International Women's Day in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, but spent it in a cramped prison cell.
What was meant to be a celebration was instead a terrifying 12-hour ordeal in a suffocating space, with a broken toilet and the smell of damp concrete and sweat.
kAm~G6C b_ @E96CD \\ H@>6?[ >6? 2?5 49:=5C6? \\ H6C6 2=D@ 96=5]k^Am
kAmQ(6 H6C6 :? 2 9@CC:3=6 AC:D@?[Q D2:5 q2C:[ 2 be\J62C\@=5 D@4:@=@8:DE 2?5 24E:G:DE] Q(6 H6C6 362E6?]Qk^Am
kAmp? pu! ;@FC?2=:DE D2H 56E2:?66D H96? E96J H6C6 C6=62D65] p== =@@<65 D92<6? 7C@> E96 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 D@>6 925 D:8?D @7 :==\EC62E>6?E DF49 2D 3CF:D6D 2?5 DH6==:?8]k^Am
kAm~FED:56 E96 A@=:46 DE2E:@?[ @?6 >2? D2:5 E62C7F==Ji Q|J 52F89E6C 42>6 96C6 ;FDE E@ @3D6CG6 E96 >2C49]]] $96 5:5 ?@E9:?8 HC@?8]Qk^Am
kAm~? E96 7246 @7 :E[ E96 (@>6?VD s2J >2C49[ =:<6 E9@D6 6=D6H96C6 :? E96 H@C=5[ D9@F=5 92G6 A@D65 =:EE=6 4@?46C? 7@C E96 2FE9@C:E:6D :? xD=2>2325 @C E96 A@H6C7F= >:=:E2CJ]k^Am
kAm!C:>6 |:?:DE6C $96932K $92C:7 9:>D6=7 A@DE65 @? ) @? |2C49 g E92E H@>6?VD 6>A@H6C>6?E H2D Q46?EC2= E@ @FC 8@G6C?>6?EVD G:D:@? 7@C !2<:DE2?VD 56G6=@A>6?EQ]k^Am
kAmQ%@52J[ H6 46=63C2E6 E96:C DEC6?8E9[ C6D:=:6?46[ =6256CD9:A[ 2?5 E96 :?G2=F23=6 4@?EC:3FE:@?D E96J >2<6 E@ @FC 72>:=:6D[ @FC 4@>>F?:E:6D[ 2?5 @FC ?2E:@?[Q 96 HC@E6]Â k^Am
kAmwF>2? C:89ED >@?:E@CD[ 9@H6G6C[ 92G6 C6A62E65=J G@:465 4@?46C? 23@FE E96 :?4C62D:?8 FD6 @7 2CC6DE E@ DE:7=6 7C66 DA6649 2?5 A62467F= 2DD6>3=J :? !2<:DE2?]k^Am
kAmp>?6DEJ x?E6C?2E:@?2= 92D H2C?65 E92E E96C6 :D 2 QD9C:?<:?8 DA246 7@C 5:DD6?EQ[ H:E9 E96 2FE9@C:E:6D FD:?8 2C3:EC2CJ 56E6?E:@?[ 7@C46 2?5 C6DEC:4E:@?D @? 82E96C:?8D]k^Am
kAm%9@D6 H9@ 7:?5 E96>D6=G6D 56E2:?65 2C6 C2C6=J E@=5 H9J]k^Am
k9am\ }2E:@?2= D64FC:EJ \k^9am
kAmwF>2? #:89ED (2E49 92D 2=D@ 5@4F>6?E65 42D6D @7 :?E:>:52E:@?[ 6?7@C465 5:D2AA62C2?46D 2?5 =682= 92C2DD>6?E @7 24E:G:DED[ =2HJ6CD 2?5 ;@FC?2=:DED]k^Am
kAm!C@E6DE >@G6>6?ED[ H@>6? 56>2?5:?8 6BF2=:EJ @C @AA@D:E:@? 8C@FAD 92G6 7C6BF6?E=J 7@F?5 E96>D6=G6D 3=@4<65 @C 32??65 H9:=6 DE2E6\2=:8?65 8C@FAD 2C6 2==@H65 E@ >2C49 7C66=J]k^Am
kAmQp?JE9:?8 2?5 6G6CJE9:?8 :D 2 ?2E:@?2= D64FC:EJ :DDF6 E96D6 52JD W7@C E96 DE2E6X[ 2?J@?6 42? 36 AF?:D965 7@C :E[Q D2:5 &D2>2 z9:=;:[ 2 5:8:E2= C:89ED 24E:G:DE]k^Am
kAmz9:=;: A@:?E65 E@ E96 42D6 @7 9F>2? C:89ED =2HJ6C x>22? |2K2C:[ H9@ 92D E2<6? @? D@>6 @7 !2<:DE2?VD >@DE D6?D:E:G6 42D6D[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 6?7@C465 5:D2AA62C2?46D @7 6E9?:4 q2=@49D[ 2?5 5676?565 E96 4@>>F?:EJVD E@A 24E:G:DE]k^Am
kAm|2K2C: 2?5 96C 9FD32?5 w25: p=: r92EE92[ 2 76==@H =2HJ6C[ 2C6 3@E9 D6CG:?8 =6?8E9J ;2:= E6C>D 7@C Q2?E:\DE2E6Q D@4:2= >65:2 A@DED]k^Am
kAm$@9C23 q2C<2E[ 2 5:8:E2= ;@FC?2=:DE 2?5 *@F%F36 9@DE[ 92D 366? 96=5 H:E9@FE EC:2= D:?46 =2E6 =2DE J62C @? DFDA:4:@? @7 DAC625:?8 Q56C@82E@CJ C6>2C<DQ 2?5 >:D:?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE DE2E6 :?DE:EFE:@?D]k^Am
kAmp !2<:DE2?:\@C:8:? 5@4E@C2= DEF56?E 7C@> r2?252 2=D@ 5:D2AA62C65 7@C D6G6C2= 52JD =2DE >@?E9[ C6A@CE65=J 7@C Q2?E:\DE2E6Q D@4:2= >65:2 A@DED[ z9:=;: D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ VsC24@?:2?V \k^9am
kAm%96 r@>>:EE66 E@ !C@E64E y@FC?2=:DED[ 2 >65:2 C:89ED 8C@FA[ D2:5 !2<:DE2? C6>2:?D 2>@?8 4@F?EC:6D H96C6 ;@FC?2=:DED 7246 D:8?:7:42?E C:D<D]k^Am
kAmpE =62DE D6G6? ;@FC?2=:DED H6C6 <:==65 :? a_ac[ E96 r!y D2:5[ H9:=6 @E96CD 72465 92C2DD>6?E 2?5 2==6865 6?7@C465 5:D2AA62C2?46D]k^Am
kAm}6H =2HD C68F=2E:?8 3@E9 >2:?DEC62> 2?5 D@4:2= >65:2 92G6 366? H:56=J 4C:E:4:D65 2D C6DEC:4E:G6 2?5 6I46DD:G6[ =:>:E:?8 7C665@> @7 6IAC6DD:@? 2?5 :?56A6?56?E C6A@CE:?8]k^Am
kAmpD 2 C6DF=E[ G@:46D 4C:E:42= @7 E96 DE2E6 92G6 366? >FE65 @C D:=6?465 4@>A=6E6=J :? ?6HDA2A6CD[ @?=:?6 @C :? 3C@2542DE]k^Am
kAm$69C:D9 "FC6D9: H2D @?6 @7 E9C66 ;@FC?2=:DED 96=5 2E E96 (@>6?VD s2J C2==J]k^Am
kAmQx @?=J H6?E E@ E96 A@=:46 DE2E:@? E92E 52J E@ <?@H H9J @E96C ;@FC?2=:DED H6C6 96=5 7@C 5@:?8 E96:C ;@3[Q D96 E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmQx H2D 2==@H65 :?D:56 E96 A@=:46 DE2E:@? 3FE 27E6C x H2D 56E2:?65 H:E9@FE 2?J C62D@?]Qk^Am
kAm!C6DD 7C665@> 8C@FAD DF49 2D #6A@CE6CD (:E9@FE q@C56CD 92G6 D:>:=2C=J A@:?E65 E@ :?4C62D:?8 DE2E6 4@?EC@= @G6C :?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 AC6DDFC6 @? :?56A6?56?E >65:2 @FE=6ED]k^Am
kAmw2CC:D z92=:BF6[ D64C6E2CJ 86?6C2= @7 wF>2? #:89ED r@>>:DD:@? @7 !2<:DE2?[ 42==65 E9@D6 C6DEC:4E:@?D Q5C24@?:2?Q]k^Am
kAmp 76H 52JD 27E6C 96C C6=62D6[ q2C: H2D :? 2 C6DE2FC2?E 2?5 E@=5 96C 7C:6?5Di QxE H2D D42CJ 2E 7:CDE] (6 5:5?VE <?@H H9J H6 H6C6 2CC6DE65 @C H92E E96J H@F=5 5@ E@ FD]Qk^Am
kAm!@=:46 E@=5 E96> 27E6CH2C5D E92E E96J H6C6 G:@=2E:?8 2 =2H 32??:?8 82E96C:?8D @7 >@C6 E92? 7@FC A6@A=6]Â k^Am
kAms2JD =2E6C[ E9@FD2?5D @7 $9:2 |FD=:>D C2==:65 :? xD=2>2325 7@C p=\"F5D s2J]k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 E96 C:D<D[ >2?J 24E:G:DED 2C6 F?56E6CC65]Â k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ DE@A >6[Q D2:5 !F?;C2D9[ H9@ H2D 2=D@ 56E2:?65 2?5 362E6? 5FC:?8 E96 C2==J]k^Am
kAmDE>^A9K^2?6^=82k^Am


