Pakistan’s law enforcement stands accused of heinous crimes after a minor girl was reportedly gang-raped by officers in Jacobabad, Sindh. The arrest of six constables is touted as progress, but a scathing Express Tribune analysis reveals it masks broader institutional rot, with accountability halting at the bottom rung.
Female prisoners kept alongside male cops in secluded areas? That’s not just procedural lapse—it’s a blatant violation. The report underscores a fundamental betrayal: ‘State custody should restrain police authority, not enable its abuse.’ Before assault even factors in, basic legal safeguards were ignored.
Worse, this detention tactic—holding innocents to coerce suspects—exemplifies inhuman pressure methods. In regions where police impunity reigns, victims fear reprisal without robust safeguards like independent probes and protected witnesses. Legal remedies exist on paper but crumble in practice.
Chronic understaffing of women police and dormant protection cells signal deep apathy. Anti-abuse measures gather dust while violations continue. Key questions demand answers: Who greenlit this setup? Where was supervision? Why the selective blame game?
Contextualizing the scandal, Sahil’s latest data paints a grim picture. From January to November 2025, crimes against women surged 25% to 6,543 incidents nationwide, per newspaper scans. Murders topped 1,414, followed by 1,144 kidnappings, 1,060 assaults, 649 suicides, and 585 rapes—up from 2024’s 5,253 total.
This tragedy underscores the urgent need for systemic overhaul: mandatory female oversight in detentions, tech-enabled monitoring, and higher-level prosecutions. Only then can Pakistan shield its most vulnerable from those sworn to protect them.