Pakistan's justice system fails women: Sindh's battle against gender violence exposes deep structural flaws

Karachi [Pakistan], October 17 : Pakistan's persistent failure to address gender-based violence (GBV) came under sharp criticism during a dialogue on Sindh's provincial action plan for GBV prevention and response. Civil society members, rights activists, and legal experts condemned weak institutional mechanisms and patriarchal attitudes that continue to deny justice to survivors, as reported by Dawn.

According to Dawn, organised by the Sindh Women Lawyers Alliance (SWLA) in collaboration with the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the event highlighted how Sindh's legal and enforcement systems remain ineffective despite years of policy talk.

Advocate Shazia Nizamani stated that institutional reforms must focus on law enforcement coordination, judicial accountability, and survivor-centred justice. She revealed that only 1.2 per cent of GBV cases lead to convictions, citing weak prosecution, lack of training, and severe underfunding of shelters and crisis centres. "The absence of a centralised GBV database makes data analysis nearly impossible," she added. "A patriarchal mindset among police and judiciary continues to obstruct justice," Nizamani stated.

The provincial action plan aims to reduce GBV incidents by 50 per cent and raise conviction rates to 20 per cent by 2030 through reforms such as survivor-centric investigations, better-equipped courts, and reduced judicial delays. Nizamani recommended setting up district-level emergency response units, hiring trained psychologists in hospitals and police stations, and increasing female representation in policing and the judiciary.

Former Sindh Commission on the Status of Women chairperson Nuzhat Shirin stated that the lack of funds for special courts remains a major hurdle, suggesting improved efficiency in regular courts instead. GBV expert Khalida Mallah emphasised seeking donor assistance to implement proposed measures, while Dr Kausar S. Khan urged community-based advocacy to build public trust, as highlighted by Dawn.

Minority rights activist Seema Maheshwari criticised flawed data collection methods, while Anita Pinjani called for research into urban and rural attitudes towards women. Transgender activist Masooma Umar Rasool lamented that the community "still faces police insensitivity and systemic neglect" despite existing protection laws. The dialogue laid bare an uncomfortable truth. Pakistan's judicial and policing structures remain deeply patriarchal, leaving survivors of gender-based violence trapped in a cycle of fear, silence, and impunity, as reported by Dawn.

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