How Pakistan is tackling violence against women and children?

LAHORE/MULTAN/NANKANA/Quetta – On the night of May 17, cries for help from a 19-year-old girl in Multan prompted neighbours to call the police helpline 15. Police registered a case under Section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code on May 18 while the medico-legal examination reportedly found evidence of injuries. The girl was allegedly told by family members to remain silent with the words: “This is normal in marriage. Don’t tell anyone.”

The incident is not merely a single criminal case but points to a broader issue involving violence against women, reporting, police action and institutional response. In this context, FIR No. 236/26 registered at Barah Ghar Police Station in Nankana Sahib emerges as a documented example.

Four cases, four different situations

1. 19-Year-Old Girl from Multan

According to police records, the victim allegedly remained silent for three years about the violence she had been subjected to. Following a call to 15, a case was registered on May 18 under Section 376 of the PPC. SHO Imran Gul said the investigation was proceeding on merit and that the forensic report was awaited.

2. Another Case from Multan

In Multan FIR No. 25/26, a woman alleged that she had endured coercion for five years. According to the FIR, the accused allegedly showed her inappropriate videos and assaulted her when she refused. The woman said she had remained silent for the sake of her children. Police said the accused had been arrested and legal assistance was being provided to the victim.

3. Quetta/Kuchlak Murder Case

In Kuchlak, a woman was killed in a shooting on September 7 in a case registered as FIR No. KLK-9/7/2026-121 under Section 302. According to police, the accused allegedly said he became enraged after the woman looked outside. Investigating Officer Abid Ali said no one was above the law.

4. Nankana Sahib FIR No. 236/26

According to the available document, FIR No. 236/26 was registered at Barah Ghar Police Station, Nankana Sahib under Form 24-5(1), Serial No. NKS-BGR-007084 and e-Tag BG-24/04/2026-690. The document states that the incident took place at around 11pm on April 22, 2026 at Chak Kot Tahir approximately 11 kilometres east of the police station.

The report was registered on April 24 at 1:20pm. The duty officer was Head Constable Qurban Ali, 753HC. According to the complaint filed by the mother of the victim who had come from Lahore, her daughter had been married for two years and had allegedly been subjected to harassment.

The application stated that on April 22 after taking medicine, she was allegedly forced into an unnatural act resulting in severe injuries following which she raised an alarm. All accused persons are presumed innocent unless and until convicted by a court of law.

‘White Book’ and ‘Red Line’

According to a source, in the past, some cases involving violence against women and children were allegedly kept as inquiries instead of being registered as FIRs while families were reportedly persuaded to reach settlements. The result was that crime figures in official records remained artificially low while victims were unable to access the formal justice system.

In contrast, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has described the protection of women and children as a “red line” and stressed a zero-tolerance policy. Police authorities have been directed to register FIRs without delay or influence in complaints involving women and children while professional investigation through the Crime Control Department (CCD) and forensic facilities has also been emphasized.

Are more FIRs sign of failure or better reporting?

According to a report, people known to the victims are frequently found to be involved in crimes against women and children while the proportion of reported cases in Punjab is higher than in other provinces. The report states that 73 percent of cases were reported in Punjab, 21 percent in Sindh, 4 percent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 2 percent in other areas.

According to the same report, 82 percent of cases were registered with the police which was described as a positive indicator of active policing and improved access to reporting mechanisms. The 2025 Gender-Based Violence (GBV) data recorded 7,071 cases including murder, kidnapping, violence, rape, suicide, injuries, harassment, honour-related crimes and acid attacks.

The report notes that an increase in reported cases does not necessarily prove a proportional increase in crime; it may also reflect improved reporting.

Experts identify root causes

Experts have identified several causes of violence against women including patriarchal notions of ownership, access to violent and inappropriate content, irresponsible use of certain medicines, family pressure to remain silent, lack of awareness and a historical tendency not to register cases.

According to Dr. Ahsan Naveed, a sense of ownership, exposure to violent content and unsupervised use of performance-enhancing medicines may contribute to extreme behaviour. Dr. Kanwal Zaheer said women often conceal violence because of shame and social pressure.

According to Dr. Samia Syed, an increase in statistics may also result from improved reporting while Malik Abdul Rehman said many incidents had occurred in the past but were never reported.

Institutional role of Punjab Women Protection Authority

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Punjab Women Protection Authority (PWPA) Chairperson Hina Pervaiz Butt has described the protection of women as a priority and stressed the need to build a safe society. She has said that the safety of every woman is the foremost priority and that no woman will be left alone.

Under the PWPA’s legal framework, victims can receive a range of services including rescue, protection, shelter, rehabilitation, access to protection centres, coordination with police and medical facilities, forensic support and prosecution assistance.

Multan VAWC — Multiple services under one roof

The Violence Against Women Center (VAWC) Multan was established on March 25, 2017. The centre follows a model under which police reporting, FIR registration, prosecution, medical and forensic facilities and other services for women are provided under one roof.

According to the centre, its annual target is 1,200 cases while more than 10,000 people have received services during the past six years. The centre provides facilities including psychologists, a women’s police station, prosecutors, notified judges, a women medical officer, laboratory services, X-ray facilities, CCTV and free legal assistance.

The women’s helpline 0800-01737 is also available. At a meeting chaired by Prosecutor General Chaudhry Irfan Sadiq Tarar, Minister Rana Bilal Ahmad stressed the need to secure maximum convictions and eliminate legal loopholes.

According to Hina Pervaiz Butt, rising figures should be viewed as a success of free FIR registration. IG Punjab Abdul Karim said that under the chief minister’s leadership, no room would be left for such crimes.

Protection framework to prevent violence

Experts say that protecting women and children requires attention at four fundamental levels:

• Awareness: Society must understand that no non-consensual act should be considered normal and that victims have the right to seek legal assistance.
• Prevention: Monitoring the illegal or irresponsible use of performance-enhancing medicines, addressing the effects of violent content, counselling and public awareness are essential.
• Law Enforcement: Professional investigation, timely medico-legal examinations, preservation of forensic evidence and effective prosecution are fundamental components of the justice process.
• Rehabilitation: Victims must have access to psychological support, shelter, free legal assistance and rehabilitation services.

Islamic teachings, Protection not harm

Islamic teachings associate married life with the principles of dignity, good treatment and mutual responsibility. The Quran states:“Live with them in kindness.” Surah Al-Baqarah describes spouses as garments for one another, symbolizing mutual protection, closeness and dignity.

Islamic teachings strongly condemn oppression, physical harm, coercion and unjust killing. A Hadith describes good treatment of one’s family as a sign of the best character.

Similarly, the Hadith “Every one of you is a guardian and every one of you is responsible” establishes that every person is accountable for those under their responsibility.

Society’s role, Timely reporting not silence

Laws and institutions can only be effective when victims, families and society report crimes in a timely manner. In the Multan incident, a call to 15 by neighbours opened the way for police action while in the Nankana case, action by the victim’s mother made the registration of an FIR possible.

According to the report, an FIR is the first link in the broader justice process followed by investigation, submission of the charge sheet, trial and conviction.

Conclusion

The mindset that violence against women and children is “normal” must be eliminated. Lower crime figures do not always indicate lower crime in some cases, they may point to underreporting.

Alongside effective FIR registration, police, forensic, VAWC, PWPA, legal assistance and rehabilitation systems, the responsibility of society is also of fundamental importance. Protecting women and children is not solely the responsibility of the government. It is a shared responsibility of families, neighbours, police, the judiciary and society as a whole.

Hiding violence allows the problem to grow while timely reporting can become the first step towards justice and protection. Because the safety of women and children must be a RED LINE.