At least 432 cases of sexual assault and kidnapping were reported by Pakistani police in Islamabad between January and May this year, as per local media. Pakistan’s leading daily, Dawn, mentioned that out of the total cases, 55 were related to sexual assault. The breakdown showed that 15 sexual assault cases were in the Soan Zone, 13 in the Sadar Zone, 12 in the Rural Zone, 9 in the Industrial Area Zone, and 6 in the City Zone.
A detailed breakdown of the 377 kidnapping cases indicated that the Sadar Zone had the highest number at 99, followed by the Soan Zone with 89 cases. The Rural Zone reported 76 cases, the City Zone had 44 cases, and the Industrial Area Zone had 29 cases. Among the kidnapping cases, one involved a victim who was kidnapped from Islamabad and later found murdered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. In a separate incident, three individuals were accused of raping a boy in Pindorian on February 28.
The data also highlighted various incidents of sexual assaults in Islamabad. For instance, a girl was reportedly gang-raped by five individuals in the I-16 area on March 19. Another case involved the sexual assault of a boy by three persons in Sihala on March 31. In total, 24 cases of sexual assault were registered during this period, involving 15 girls, three women, and a boy. Notably, a 15-year-old boy was assaulted at gunpoint by two individuals in Mehrban Town on April 15, as reported by Dawn.
Police records indicated that 69 cases were registered under Section 365, which deals with kidnapping or abduction with the intention to secretly and wrongfully confine a person. These cases involved 64 male and five female victims. In one incident, a man was reportedly abducted from outside his residence in Sector F-6/1 on May 4, and his body was discovered in Mardan the following day.
Recent reports have shed light on the prevalence of sexual violence in Pakistan, with a particular focus on the case of a 19-year-old mother in Rawat, Islamabad. This incident is seen as part of a wider pattern, raising concerns about the challenges in addressing gender-based violence in the country. The report emphasized the need to address systemic weaknesses that impact the safety and security of women in Pakistan.
