Pakistan: 258 rape cases reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa last year with only one conviction
Islamabad, March 10 (IANS) The Human Rights Council of Pakistan, a non-government organisation, has revealed that as many as 258 rape cases were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in 2025. However, only one conviction was recorded, the local media reported.
Human Rights Council of Pakistan (HRCP) revealed the fresh statistics in a 2025 human rights report launched at the Peshawar Press Club, Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn reported.
During the launch of the report, the council’s provincial president Izharuddin Khan said that around five per cent of women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faced violence regularly. He stated that about 30 per cent of gender-based violence cases were reported while nearly 70 per cent remained unreported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Khan mentioned that harassment cases were also reported in universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding that female students were not safe from gender-based harassment. According to the report, harassment complaints were made in University of Peshawar and University of Malakand. He said that traditional practices such as swara, the giving of girls in marriage to settle disputes, was still practiced in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to the report, there was rise in digital harassment, with about 160,000 cybercrime cases reported in 2025. However, officials said these showed only cases where victims knew about cybercrime reporting techniques while an estimated 30 to 40 per cent of incidents went unreported due to lack of knowledge.
Representatives of the council urged the government to introduce legislation to safeguard rights of women and ensure their safety. They urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly to approve women’s empowerment policy and implement laws addressing acid attacks and domestic violence. They also called for setting up special courts and dedicated funds to tackle cases related to gender-based violence and demanded stronger measures to empower women and protect their rights, Dawn reported.
In the report, the commission also voiced concern over violence against transgender persons, stressing that several members of the community were killed during the year while several others were reportedly forced to leave some areas.
–IANS
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