PESHAWAR - Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, (RAWA) has postponed its scheduled demonstration to be held in Peshawar on Sunday (today) due to the pressure of religious circles.  

The decision was taken by the RAWA after the local police high ups expressed their helplessness in providing protection to their protest procession. Last time, their demonstration on main university road few months back, was attacked by the local Talibans and the police had to baton charged them.  

A spokesman of RAWA told The Frontier Post on Saturday that the next date for holding a demonstration would be announced later on. A delegation of RAWA has reportedly held a meeting with SSP Peshawar on Saturday and apprised him regarding their scheduled programme but he expressed helplessness to protect the procession from any attack of Taliban. 

A person identifying himself as a spokesman of Taliban called at the office of The Frontier Post in the afternoon, threatening that they would break the legs of RAWA participants if they took out a protest demonstration. He said that they had already informed the IGP about their decision and he would be responsible for any eventuality in case the RAWA took out a procession. 

He added that they did not allow the female to come out from their houses in Afghanistan, then how could they allow them to take to roads here in Pakistan. He added that the processions by the females was against the spirit of Islam. 

When he was asked as to why they have been trying to implement the laws of Afghanistan in Pakistan, he replied that their laws are applicable to all the Afghans irrespective of their place of livings. 

RAWA has earlier, planned to take out a protest demonstration in Peshawar on Sunday to condemn the injustices of Taliban's government towards female in Afghanistan. 

The spokesperson of RAWA told The Frontier Post that they did not want to create law and order situation for the local administration and due to same reason they decided to postpone their procession. She expressed astonishment as to how could the Afghans laws be applicable over them in Pakistan. 

"We were aware of the reaction of Taliban as they are habitual of beating women in Afghanistan but despite that we planned the demonstration", she said. But now when even the administration expressed helplessness, they had to postponed their programme. However, she said, "they would announce fresh date for the demonstration in near future". 
 

The News, December 27, 1998 
 

PESHAWAR: The Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) has accused the Taliban of threatening them with dire consequences in case it went ahead with its planned demonstration in Peshawar Sunday on the 19th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. 

"We have been forced to postpone our demonstration because of the Taliban threats. The district and police administration in Peshawar declined to guarantee our protection from Taliban attacks," a RAWA spokesman told The News. However, she said RAWA would wait for an opportune time and date to stage a demonstration by Afghan women in Peshawar. 

The spokesperson recalled that RAWA's demonstration in Peshawar on December 27 last year was also attacked by the Afghan Taliban and their Pakistani supporters. "We retaliated and the Taliban suffered more than our women last year. It were the Taliban who fled leaving their shoes and turbans," she claimed. 

The RAWA spokesperson said as usual they wanted to hold a procession in Peshawar on December 27 this year to condemn the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan on this day 19 years ago. "But the Taliban came to know of our plans and have been threatening us on the phone over the last few days. We aren't scared of the Taliban and could have faced them on the streets of Peshawar again but the local police chief said he wasn't in a position to provide us security in case we staged a demonstration. So for the time-being we have decided to postpone our demonstration," she explained. Nevertheless, she said RAWA members have offered sacrifices in the past as well and would do so again in its struggle to establish democracy in Afghanistan.