Islamabad, June 21 (IANS) Violence against women in Pakistan is embedded in institutions, upheld by Jirgas tolerated by the state and reinforced with media narratives, as per a local media report.
“The normalisation of abuse reflects hostility toward female autonomy. Punitive measures alone cannot dismantle this system…International obligations lose significance when justice is replaced by silence. Low conviction rates, state reluctance to confront Jirgas and media complicity sustain impunity, leaving women vulnerable and unprotected,” the report by Pakistan Observer said.
On June 5, young physician Mahnoor Narsir was attacked with acid by a staff member at Quetta’s civil hospital, marking another act of gendered brutality.
“This was not merely an assault; it was a grave act of gender-based violence and workplace insecurity, emblematic of the perilous conditions women face in Pakistan,” the report said.
TikTok influencer Sana Yousaf was shot dead in her Islamabad home in June 2025, hours after celebrating her 17th birthday.
Noor Mukadam was beheaded by her boyfriend in 2021 after rejecting his marriage proposal, an incident that sparked outrage nationwide.
“The events of January 2026 exposed judicial complicity in perpetuating this crisis. Pakistan’s Supreme Court reduced a rape conviction to fornication, cutting a 20-year sentence to five years and reducing the fine, reinforcing systemic reluctance to confront gender-based violence,” the report noted.
The low single-digit conviction rates are the reality for domestic violence, rape and “so-called honour killings”, while abductions see a dismal 0.1 per cent convictions.
“The judiciary’s failure is not incidental; it is structural, reflecting a broader reluctance to challenge patriarchal norms and tribal authority,” noted the report.
The execution of a young couple, Ehsan Samalani and Bano Satakzai, for contracting a love marriage without family approval was one of the most harrowing examples of honour-based violence that emerged in July 2025.
The video from Quetta went viral, where Bano’s final words in Brahvi: “You are allowed to shoot me, but nothing more than that”, echoed dignity amid terror, moments before she was shot dead by her own brother after killing her husband.
“Approximately 1,000 women are murdered annually in Pakistan in the name of honour, with 405 cases officially recorded in 2024 alone. Many more go unreported, their deaths erased by tribal allegiance and societal complicity,” the report noted.
“In 2025, Sahil reported 7,071 gender based-violence cases nationwide, a 34 per cent increase from the previous year. These included 1,546 murders, 1,345 abductions, 1,169 torture cases, 877 rapes, 680 suicides, 449 injuries, 316 harassment cases, 284 honour killings and 41 acid attacks. Acquaintances were responsible for 32 per cent of cases, strangers for 18 per cent, and husbands for 12 per cent,” the report highlighted.
With deteriorated economic participation and literacy parity remaining below 75 per cent, underscoring its perilous standing for women, Pakistan ranks 148th in the Global Gender Gap Report, 2025.
–IANS
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