Karachi, March 19 In yet another case of violence against women in Pakistan, a woman was set on fire by her husband in Karachi as she objected to him having relations with other women.
She was tortured before being doused with petrol and set ablaze, leaving her with 40 per cent burns. Soon after the incident, the husband escaped from the scene and was arrested by the city police only after a couple of days.
It is also reported that she was often subjected to abuse and torture by her husband. The injured woman is under treatment at Burns Ward of Civil Hospital in Karachi while the police started interrogating the arrested husband.
Recently, a report issued by the Progressive Women's Association (PWA) in Pakistan reveals that about 300 Pakistani women are burned to death each year by their husbands or their husbands' families, and the violence is increasing, local media reported on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Tuesday organised a meeting on justice for women and gender minorities. While discussing the existing laws for women's protection, the HRCP expressed concerns over the low conviction rates in cases of rape, abduction, domestic violence, and harmful customary practices, according to leading Pakistani daily Dawn.
The commission stated that crimes against women in Pakistan are frequently reported in the media, but the conviction rates for these offences remain alarmingly low.
The commission stated that the gap between reported crimes and low conviction rates in Pakistan highlights serious weaknesses in the legal system. Weak investigations, social stigma, and delays in court cases create major barriers to justice. This lack of accountability allows violence to continue, making it difficult for survivors to seek justice and protection.
Recently, the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) in Pakistan released its latest report, 'Mapping Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Pakistan 2024', providing a province-wise analysis of rape, honour killings, kidnapping/abduction, and domestic violence.
The report highlights the alarming scale of GBV cases and the extremely low conviction rates in the country.
The data reveals that a total of 32,617 cases of GBV were reported nationwide in 2024. 5,339 incidents of rape, 24,439 incidents of kidnapping and abduction, 2238 incidents of domestic violence, and 547 cases of honour killing were recorded in 2024, reports the leading Pakistani newspaper, The Express Tribune.
Despite these alarming figures, conviction rates remain critically low across all provinces of Pakistan. The national-level conviction rate of rape and honour killings stands at a mere 0.5 per cent.
Kidnapping and abduction cases have an even lower conviction rate of 0.1 per cent, and domestic violence cases with a conviction rate of only 1.3 per cent.
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