Pakistan's soaring violence against women exposes institutional collapse

Lahore [Pakistan], November 21 (ANI): A new biannual assessment by the Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO) paints a menacing picture of gender-based violence in Punjab, revealing that at least 85 women suffer violence every single day, including an average of nine who are sexually assaulted.

The data, obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) law from the Punjab Police, highlights the persistent and widespread nature of abuse across the province, as reported by The Express Tribune.

According to The Express Tribune, the Violence Against Women Punjab 2025 factsheet breaks down major categories such as sexual assault, kidnapping, domestic violence, honour crimes, trafficking, cyber harassment and workplace sexual harassment.

To ensure district-level comparison, the findings use standardised rates per 100,000 women aged 18 and older. Between January and June 2025, Punjab recorded daily averages of nine sexual assaults, 51 kidnappings and 24 domestic violence incidents. Lahore emerged as the worst-affected district, leading in sexual assault cases, kidnappings and more than 2000 domestic violence complaints. The city also reported one of the highest tallies of honour killings.

Districts such as Multan, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Kasur and many others also continued to register consistently high numbers. When it came to cyber harassment, only five districts, Okara, Sheikhupura, Layyah, Pakpattan and Gujrat, reported incidents, which SSDO attributed to uneven access to digital reporting systems and significant underreporting. Muzaffargarh and Pakpattan were among the districts with the highest trafficking-related offences.

The alarming fact in the report was the complete absence of data from multiple districts, including Bahawalpur, Chakwal, Faisalabad, Narowal, Rahim Yar Khan, Sahiwal and Rawalpindi, despite repeated reminders from the Punjab Information Commission. The watchdog emphasised that police departments are legally bound under the RTI Act to publicly disclose these figures, and the lack of compliance undermines transparency and distorts the real scale of violence, as cited by The Express Tribune.

While SSDO acknowledged that improved reporting mechanisms may have contributed to higher numbers, it warned that the continued gaps in data fuel misinformation and weaken public trust.

The organisation urged authorities to bolster reporting systems, enhance police investigations, expedite judicial processes and expand survivor-support services such as shelters, legal aid and psychosocial care. SSDO concluded that only reliable data, accountable governance and sustained community awareness can help Punjab confront the deep-rooted crisis of violence against women, as reported by The Express Tribune. (ANI)

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