Punjab, Pakistan – November 22
A recent bi‑annual audit carried out by the Islamabad‑based Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO) revealed that, over the last half‑year, at least 85 women in Punjab are subjected to various forms of violence on a daily basis, including nine rapes per day. The same report sourced via the Right to Information (RTI) from the provincial police also highlighted 51 kidnappings and up to 25 instances of domestic abuse for each day in the same six‑month span.
From January through June 2025, the RTI data encompass a wide range of offences—rape, hostage‑taking, honour killings, trafficking and cyber harassment—amounting to more than 15 000 reported cases. Lahore topped the list with an alarming concentration of crime: 340 sexual assault reports, 3 018 kidnappings and 2 115 domestic‑violence incidents. The city’s capital also recorded some of the highest honour‑killing figures in Punjab.
Other areas where violence against women remains persistently high include Multan, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Kasur, Toba Tek Singh and Nankana Sahib. In contrast, Okara, Sheikhupura, Layyah, Pakpattan and Gujrat reported cyber‑harassment cases, a trend the SSDO attributes to scant digital complaint mechanisms and substantial under‑reporting. Muzaffargarh and Pakpattan came out on top for trafficking‑related offences.
The assessment raised serious concerns about missing information from multiple districts. Despite repeated mandates from the Punjab Information Commission, districts such as Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Chakwal, Chiniot, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Hafizabad, Narowal, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, Rawalpindi, Sahiwal and Sargodha have yet to provide the required data, the country’s leading daily Express Tribune noted.
“We are facing significant gaps in data collection,” warned the SSDO. These omissions not only fuel misinformation and erode public trust but also mask the true scale of the crisis. Under the RTI Act, law‑enforcement agencies are legally bound to make such records public; the continued absence of data undermines the transparency and dependability of provincial violence statistics.
Describing the situation as “alarming,” the SSDO urged a joint effort to enhance reporting and referral frameworks, bolster police investigative capacity, accelerate judicial processes, and expand survivor support services—including shelters, legal aid and psychosocial help.
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