Islamabad, July 25 — As many as 3,172 cases of gender-based violence were reported in Pakistan in the first six months of 2026, including 18 cases involving transgender persons, according to Sahil’s Six Months Cruel Numbers Report, local media reported on Friday.
According to the report, 644 murders, 514 cases of torture, 462 abductions, 363 suicides, 280 rapes, 175 injuries, 132 honour killings, and 21 other crimes, including harassment, gang rape and pornography cases were reported in Pakistan in the first six months of 2026, Pakistan-based daily Dawn reported.
As per the report, 334 victims were aged between the age group of 21-30 years while 306 victims were aged between 11-20 years and 120 victims were aged between 31-40 years. The ages of victims were not included in 71 per cent of the cases.
The six-month report is based on information gathered from national and regional newspapers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan.
According to the report, 27 per cent of the perpetrators were acquaintances of the victims, 24 per cent were strangers and 13 per cent were husbands while the perpetrators were not mentioned in 20 per cent of the cases, Dawn reported.
The report documented that 54 per cent of the incidents took place in the victims' own homes, while 12 per cent occurred at perpetrators' residents, making these two most common places for gender-based violence.
The report revealed that 74 per cent of the total cases were reported in Punjab, 17 per cent in Sindh, six per cent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while three per cent from Balochistan, Islamabad Capital Territory, PoK and PoGB combined.
According to the report, 76 per cent of reported cases were lodged with the police while the registration status were not included in 23 per cent of the cases while one per cent was unregistered.
On July 5, the Human Rights Council (HRC) of Pakistan staged a protest at the Karachi Press Club condemning the alarming rise in cases of sexual harassment against women across the country.
According to the HRC, the protest saw the participation of human rights defenders, women's rights activists, social workers, civil society representatives, and concerned citizens from across Pakistan.
The demonstrators called for stronger implementation of laws, swift justice for victims, and effective measures to ensure the safety, dignity, and equal rights of women across the country.
Addressing the gathering, the speakers strongly condemned all forms of harassment and urged collective action to eliminate gender-based violence in Pakistan.
“The speakers emphasised that sexual harassment is a grave violation of human rights and urged the Government of Pakistan, law enforcement agencies, educational institutions, workplaces, and all segments of society to take practical and effective measures to prevent harassment, protect victims, and ensure accountability for offenders,” the HRC stated.
The rights body along with a women organisation reaffirmed "their commitment to continuing their efforts to safeguard women's rights, raise public awareness, and advocate for a Pakistan where every woman can live with safety, dignity, and respect."