Punjab accounts for 78 percent of the total cases, followed by Sindh with 14 percent.
LAHORE:
Sahil, an organization that monitors gender-based violence, reported in its annual report a significant increase in crimes against women across Pakistan in the first eleven months of 2025.
The report was compiled using data published in 81 national newspapers covering the four provinces, Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
It appears that 6,543 incidents were reported in 2025, compared to 5,253 cases in 2024. This reflects an increase of almost twenty-five percent year-on-year.
Incidents documented between January and November 2025 include 1,414 cases of murder, 1,144 cases of kidnapping, 1,060 cases of physical assault, 649 cases of suicide and 585 cases of rape.
The data further indicates that in 32 percent of rape cases, the perpetrators were known to the survivors, while 17 percent involved strangers.
Husbands were involved in 12 percent of cases, and in 21 percent of incidents, the identity of the perpetrators was not reported.
The findings also highlight that the majority of gender-based violence takes place in victims’ homes, accounting for 60 percent of recorded cases, while 13 percent occurs on the perpetrator’s premises.
Regionally, Punjab accounted for 78 percent of the total cases, followed by Sindh with 14 percent, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with 6 percent and a combined 2 percent from Balochistan, Islamabad, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Of all reported incidents, 77 percent were registered with the police, while 21 percent contained no information regarding registration. Only two cases concerned a refusal by the police to file a complaint.
Last week, the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) released its own fact sheet on violence against women, recording more than 20,000 incidents across the country in the first six months of 2025.
The SSDO report highlights that extremely low conviction rates, delays in investigations and court proceedings, and poor quality of evidence constitute major challenges.
Punjab was cited as the most important province due to what the organization described as relatively active reporting mechanisms.
Sahil’s latest assessment warns that the true scale of gender-based violence could be much higher, as many incidents go unreported due to social barriers, lack of access and security concerns.
The organization stressed that without ensuring safe reporting environments, effective legal assistance and speedy justice for survivors, the growing trend of violence cannot be curbed.
