Study Shows Rising Gender‑Based Crimes in Punjab, 2021‑2025

Human‑rights monitors released a comprehensive report that recorded 1,95,787 incidents involving women and girls in Pakistan’s Punjab province between 2021 and 2025 – accounting for roughly 82 percent of the nation’s gender‑based crime tally. The data revealed 14,824 domestic‑violence cases, including 3,746 women who were killed, 830 honour killings, and 442 instances of women being set alight. Acid attacks (143) and stove‑burns (299) featured prominently among the brutal methods. Sexual offences numbered 20,560, with 16,827 rapes, 2,183 gang‑rapes, 189 cases of sexual violence in detention, and 1,361 incest reports. Kidnapping surged to 90,965 cases, while 68,165 other gender‑based offences added to the grim picture. Annual figures climbed each year, peaking at 56,613 reported cases in 2025, signalling a worsening crisis.