By Asim Shahzad
LAHORE: Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) has released its latest report, ‘Mapping Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Pakistan 2024’, providing a province-wise analysis of rape, honor killings, kidnapping/abduction, and domestic violence across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan, and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). The report highlights the concerning scale of GBV cases and the extremely low conviction rates, emphasizing the need for urgent reforms in law enforcement and judicial systems.
Read also: SSDO launches detailed report analyzing cases of child sexual abuse
According to the report, a total of 32,617 cases of GBV were reported nationwide in 2024. 5,339 incidents of rape, 24,439 incidents of kidnapping/abduction, 2238 incidents of domestic violence, and 547 cases of honor killing recorded in 2024. Despite these alarming figures, conviction rates remain critically low across all provinces. The national level conviction rate of rape stands at a mere 0.5%, while honor killings also see only 0.5% convictions. Kidnapping/abduction cases have an even lower conviction rate of 0.1%, and domestic violence cases, though higher, still only result in convictions 1.3% of the time.
Punjab recorded the highest number of GBV cases, with a total of 26,753 registered cases. The province reported 225 honor killing cases, but only 2 convictions. For rape, Punjab had 4,641 cases, with a conviction rate of merely 0.4%. Kidnapping and abduction cases were alarmingly high at 20,720, yet only 16 convictions were made. Domestic violence cases stood at 1,167, with just 3 convictions.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) recorded 3,397 GBV cases in total. The province reported 134 cases of honor killing, with 2 convictions. Rape cases stood at 258, 1 conviction was reported. Kidnapping and abduction cases reached 943, with only one conviction.Domestic violence cases in KP totalled 446, but no convictions were recorded.
Sindh registered 1,781 GBV cases. Honor killings accounted for 134 cases, but none led to convictions. The province recorded 243 rape cases, again with no convictions. Kidnapping and abduction cases were reported at 2,645, with zero convictions. Domestic violence cases stood at 375, but no justice was served in terms of convictions.
Balochistan had a total of 398 GBV cases. The province recorded 32 cases of honor killing, with just one conviction. Rape cases were reported at 21, with zero convictions. Kidnapping and abduction cases stood at 185, yet no convictions were reported. Domestic violence cases were recorded at 160, with 25 convictions—the highest conviction count among all provinces for this category.
Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) reported 220 GBV cases. Honor killings accounted for 22 cases, with no convictions. The capital recorded 176 rape cases, with only 7 convictions. Kidnapping and abduction cases were not reported by data provided by prosecution department. Domestic violence cases stood at 22, with no convictions recorded.
Syed Kausar Abbas, executive director of Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO), told that the report, based on data sourced from provincial police departments via Right of access to Information (RTI) laws of the respective provinces, analyses GBV cases reported in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan during 2024.
Syed Kausar Abbas further stressed the urgent need for meaningful reforms to protect survivors and hold offenders accountable. He emphasized that every survivor deserves justice, and the current system must do more to ensure their voices are heard. “We need to strengthen police investigations, improve legal processes, and speed up trials so that survivors don’t have to wait years for justice,” he said. Abbas urged government institutions, civil society, and legal bodies to come together, not just as policymakers but as human beings, to create a system where survivors feel safe, supported, and empowered to seek justice.
Shahid Jatoi, Director Program stated that the SSDO report’s findings underscore deep-rooted challenges within Pakistan’s criminal justice system, where inefficiencies, delays, and systemic biases severely undermine justice for GBV survivors. The abysmally low conviction rates—such as 0.5% for rape and honor killings nationally—reflect a combination of weak investigations, inadequate evidence collection, societal stigma, and a lack of judicial accountability. These statistics reveal a justice system struggling to address the scale of gender-based violence, leaving survivors vulnerable and perpetrators largely unpunished. This crisis is compounded by limited access to legal aid, prolonged trial durations, and cultural pressures that discourage reporting or pursuing cases, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to align Pakistan’s criminal justice framework with the gravity of these offenses.
