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Updated 29 Apr, 2019

There was a traffic mess at Nagan Chowrangi, Karachi on Sunday morning.

Everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of the 100 women in pink jackets, the Pink Riders, riding all kinds of motorcycles.

The women riding bikes with several of them also as pillion riders were out and about to encourage other women to pursue a life of independence.

“That’s what I wanted for these women, who may be housewives, students, doctors, nurses or from any other profession. I didn’t want them to depend on anyone for transport,” founder of Pink Riders Payam-i-Khurram told Dawn.

“Women comprise 52 per cent of Pakistan’s population, and if they become independent, Pakistan will become independent.”

Rachel Javed said that not having one’s own transport can really be a hurdle for women. “Taxis and rickshaws are expensive and we were spending more than Rs300 on conveyance every day, which was burning a hole in our pockets,” she said.

“Besides using up a major chunk of our salaries on transport, when we reached our places of work late due to the unpredictability of rickshaws and taxis, there would be an annoyed boss waiting for us too,” said Sana Yaqub.

Another rider, Rukhsar Basheer, said that the situation would get even worse for those women with odd working timings. “There are women here who work as nurses or women who work in shopping malls with very odd working hours and most public transport would not even be available late at night and then we would be standing there by the roadside, risking our lives while also getting strange looks and catcalls,” she said.

“But the real issue here was lack of awareness,” said Khurram. “Women ride scooters and motorcycles all over the world so why should there be an issue here? That’s why, we organised this rally of 100 women motorcycle riders, to create awareness among people that women can also ride bikes,” he added.

“For the purpose the rally, which started at Nagan Chowrangi, includes areas such as Sohrab Goth, KDA Chowrangi, Karimabad, Sohrab Goth, NIPA Chowrangi, Hassan Square, Karsaz, etc, and not just posh areas such as Clifton or Defence. It is to show everyone living in these areas that the women here can and the women here are not going to rely on anyone but themselves to reach their respective destinations.”


Originally published in Dawn, April 29th, 2019

Comments

Happy Apr 29, 2019 11:30am
Keep it up - Pink Riders
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Awami Apr 29, 2019 11:43am
Thumbs Up for the Pakistani Girls!!
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Mir Apr 29, 2019 11:47am
As long as safety precautions are properly handled, for example, wearing a helmet even for the pillion, what seems to be the problem?
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NOONARI THUL Apr 29, 2019 12:07pm
Its struggle has been continuing
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hassan jamal Apr 29, 2019 12:30pm
keep it up ! very good sign for pakistan's future.
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Reader Apr 29, 2019 01:14pm
Our roads should be made more safe, special lanes should be created for bicycles, this will go a a long way to solve our transport problem and indirectly our fuel costs. Cycles is the cheapest way to travel, after walking. Again footpaths have to be created and maintained so that maximum people learn to walk.
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Zoya Apr 29, 2019 02:39pm
CONGRATULATIONS! So excited! Bikes have been around for 200 years of pure fun! Bicycles. Motorcycles everyone uses them globally and enjoys them. Fragile Pakistani men are the only ones who scream. Let them scream. Pakistani women can do it all themselves and live their lives happily! The discussion of insecurity is stupid and neanderthalic to think anything is indecent. Those thoughts are their own backwards indecent minds. Grow up Pakistan. The world is turning and you are lagging behind by bad judgments. Brava women Brava! Keep riding!
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M. Saeed Apr 29, 2019 02:40pm
Good going Karachi, A win after Peshawar loss.
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NewBorn Apr 29, 2019 03:05pm
They need to do this in Peshawar. Go girls!
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Junaid Apr 29, 2019 04:13pm
As a new generation of Pakistan I fully support freedom of choice. Let's move forward from the medieval era and join the present world.
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Someone Apr 29, 2019 04:23pm
Excellent! However modern scooters having auto-gear and self start is better than bikes for commen women.
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M Ayyaz Apr 29, 2019 05:24pm
Excellent:)
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Ramesh Kumar Apr 29, 2019 05:43pm
Great
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Gordon D. Walker Apr 29, 2019 06:22pm
Go girls, go... Gordon D. Walker Canada
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Ibrahim Apr 29, 2019 06:39pm
100 is only the beginning.
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ahmed Apr 29, 2019 08:06pm
Thank you Khorum for this great initiative. Pakistan is a free country and women are and should be full participants. Ride your bikes in safety and be happy.PK men should fully support this. This should be a movement across PK and govts. at all levels must support this liberation.
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Faisal Apr 29, 2019 09:12pm
women can't ride bikes in Pakistan because we are living in the middle ages.
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Sadaf Apr 29, 2019 09:25pm
A valid point made- 52% are women in Pakistan - they are the breadwinners. Women are the leaders now. A high ratio of those women are working. It is a logical solution.
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FAZ Apr 30, 2019 12:12am
Japanese vespas are the best. Cost wise as well as ease of use
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AZAM AKBAR Apr 30, 2019 04:26am
Respected Ladies, Congratulations on your courage.
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Mumtaz Ahmed Shah Apr 30, 2019 07:21am
Well done. Special lane be made for pink bicycle.(Texas)
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SHIBU Apr 30, 2019 08:07am
Great news from Pakistan. Without empowerment of women a nation cannot progress.
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Asif Ali Apr 30, 2019 10:20am
Go ahead, a fight for equality.
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Zain U Abidin - USA May 01, 2019 07:44pm
I think women should have every right to use transportation, drive cars, ride motorbikes or scooters. In US, when Pakistani ladies newly immigrate here, the first thing they learn to do, how to drive a car. It is absolutely necessary. Even extremely religious girls with full hijab, like many of my acquaintances, all of them drive a car, and this was all not much likely, in Pakistan.
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Sami May 02, 2019 02:08am
Awesome ladies! More power to you.
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