Islamabad: According to a report by the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO), a total of 32,617 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) were documented in Pakistan in 2024. This includes 24,439 cases of kidnapping/abduction, 5,339 incidents of rape, 2,238 instances of domestic violence, and 547 honor killings, as reported by The Express Tribune.
The SSDO’s report, titled “Mapping Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Pakistan 2024,” provides a detailed breakdown of these incidents on a provincial level, covering Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan, and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). The findings underscore an alarming increase in GBV cases alongside critically low conviction rates, signaling an urgent need for reform in both law enforcement and the judicial system. Despite the rising number of reported cases, the conviction rates across all provinces remain dismally low.
Nationwide, the conviction rate for rape stands at a mere 0.5%, while it is the same for honor killings and only 0.1% for kidnapping and abduction cases, with domestic violence seeing a slightly higher rate of 1.3%. Punjab reported the highest number of GBV cases, with a total of 26,753. The province recorded 4,641 rape cases, yet the conviction rate was only 0.4%. Punjab also reported 20,720 cases of kidnapping and abduction, resulting in just 16 convictions, and documented 1,167 domestic violence cases, with only three convictions.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there were 3,397 reported cases of GBV, including 134 honor killings (with two convictions), 258 rape cases (one conviction), and 943 abduction cases (one conviction). The province recorded 446 domestic violence cases but saw no convictions.
Sindh documented 1,781 GBV cases, including 134 honor killings, yet no convictions occurred. The province reported 243 rape cases, all resulting in no convictions, and 2,645 kidnapping cases with the same outcome. Domestic violence cases reached 375 without any convictions as well.
Balochistan recorded 398 GBV cases, with 32 honor killings and only one conviction. The province saw 21 recorded rape cases and 185 abduction cases, both without convictions. However, among 160 domestic violence cases, there were 25 convictions.
In the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 220 GBV cases were reported, including 22 honor killings and 176 rape incidents, the latter resulting in only seven convictions. Domestic violence cases totaled 22, with no recorded convictions, and the prosecution department did not provide data regarding kidnapping and abduction cases.
Syed Kausar Abbas, Executive Director of SSDO, noted that the report is based on data collected from provincial police departments through Right to Information (RTI) laws. He emphasized the critical need for reforms to protect survivors and ensure that perpetrators are held accountable, calling for improvements in police investigations, legal processes, and trial efficiencies to eliminate delays that hinder justice.
Shahid Jatoi, Director of Programs at SSDO, highlighted the report’s revelations about the fundamental issues within Pakistan’s criminal justice system. The low national conviction rates for rape and honor killings, he remarked, reflect weak investigative practices, poor evidence gathering, societal stigma, and a lack of judicial accountability, ultimately leaving survivors at risk and allowing offenders to remain unpunished.