Data collected by the Punjab police for the first four months of the year reveals alarming statistics of violent crimes against women. During this period, 1,111 cases of rape and 5,551 incidents of women being kidnapped were reported. Tragically, 53 women lost their lives in ‘honour’ killings, while 219 cases of domestic violence against women were registered, according to a story by Hassan Naqvi in The Friday Times.
While these figures are deeply concerning, there is growing apprehension among the police regarding another alarming category of violent crime against women: trafficking. During the first four months of this year, there were 613 reported cases of women being trafficked, a worrying trend according to a senior police official who shared the data with The Friday Times, requesting anonymity due to a lack of authorization to speak to the media.
Lahore emerged as a hotspot for reported rape incidents, with 139 cases during this period. Faisalabad reported 117 cases, Sheikhupura 41, and Nankana 19. Other districts like Kasur, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Gujrat, Mandi Bahuddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Attock, Jhelum, and Chakwal also reported various cases of rape.
In terms of ‘honour’ killings, Dera Ismail Khan had the highest number of reported incidents (eight), while Lahore, Attock, Chakwal, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, and Bahawalnagar each reported one case. Other districts like Nankana, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, Chiniot, Okara, Rajanpur, and Bahawalpur also reported instances of ‘honour’ killings.
Gujranwala had the highest number of reported domestic violence cases against women (64) during the same period. Other districts like Lahore, Hafizabad, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Attock, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Multan, Vehari, Sahiwal, Okara, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, and Bahawalnagar also reported various cases of domestic violence against women.
Of all violent crimes reported, kidnapping emerged as the most frequently reported crime against women. Unsurprisingly, Lahore remained the epicenter, with a staggering 1,427 cases registered during the four-month period. Chiniot reported the fewest cases, with 26 incidents reported.
Other districts also witnessed significant numbers of kidnapping cases. Faisalabad reported 318 cases, Multan 270, Rawalpindi 236, and Kasur 216. Sheikhupura reported 250 cases, Nankana 64, Gujranwala 192, Hafizabad 52, and Gujrat 96. Mandi Bahuddin reported 76 cases, Sialkot 191, Narowal 61, Attock 71, Jhelum 66, and Chakwal 39. Sargodha reported 196 cases, Khushab 34, Mianwali 64, Toba Tek Singh 59, Lodhran 76, Khanewal 74, Vehari 144, and Sahiwal 105. Pakpattan had 94 reported cases, Okara 172, DG Khan 79, Rajanpura 89, Muzaffargarh 119, Layyah 81, Bahawalpur 175, Bahawalnagar 87, and Dera Ismail Khan 130.
Trafficking of women has emerged as a concerning trend, with 613 reported cases across the province during the same period. Once again, Lahore topped the list with 210 reported cases. Curiously, Attock reported the fewest cases of women trafficking, with just three incidents.
Other districts also reported trafficking cases. Sheikhupura had 27 incidents, Nankana 4, Kasur 10, Gujranwala 27, Hafizabad 16, Gujrat 6, and Mandi Bahauddin 5. Sialkot reported 23 cases, Narowal 8, Rawalpindi 23, Jhelum 6, and Chakwal 5. Sargodha reported 13 cases, Khushab 6, Mianwali 6, Bhakkar 4, Faisalabad 40, Jhang 6, and Toba Tek Singh 4. Chiniot reported 7 cases, Multan 42, Lodhran 7, Khanewal 5, Vehari 17, and Sahiwal 10. Pakpattan had 5 reported cases, Okara 16, DG Khan 5, Rajanpur 5, Muzaffargarh 10, Layyah 5, Bahawalpur 5, Bahawalnagar 4, and Dera Ismail Khan 18.
