Revision as of 01:25, 23 July 2012 editAmandajm (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers33,477 edits Get this RIGHT. This matter didn't come to international attention because of the RAPE of Mukhtaran Bibi. It came to notice because of the ACTION of Mukhtaran Bibi. (action=courage)← Previous edit | Latest revision as of 17:27, 4 January 2025 edit undoM Waleed (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, IP block exemptions12,157 edits →Notable cases: Sexual assault, this specific case although assault doesn't follow the standard definition of the term "rape"Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit Advanced mobile edit | ||
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{{Short description|Overview of rape and other sexual violence in Pakistan}} | |||
The prevalence of '''rape in ]''', the apparent officially sanctioning of rape, and the official failure to punish rape, are matters of concern in the international human rights and women's rights communities. Among types of rape that appear officially sanctioned, or go unpunished are "honor rapes" and rapes by police and members of the armed forces. The prevalence of rape received international attention in 2002 after a victim of sexual assault ] spoke out and pursued a case against her rapists. | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}} | |||
{{rape}} | |||
{{Use Pakistani English|date=August 2016}} | |||
Punishment for '''rape in Pakistan''' under the Pakistani laws is either ] or imprisonment of between ten and twenty-five years. For cases related to gang rape, the punishment is either death penalty or life imprisonment.<ref name=pakistani.org>{{cite web|url=http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/legislation/2006/wpb.html|title=Protection of Women (Criminal Laws Amendment) Act, 2006|date=1 December 2006|work=pakistani.org|access-date=4 August 2020|archive-date=22 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141122210713/http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/legislation/2006/wpb.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> DNA test and other scientific evidence are used in prosecuting rape cases in Pakistan.<ref name=2016law>{{cite web|url=https://pcsw.punjab.gov.pk/Criminal%20Law%20%28Amendment%29|title=Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offense of Rape) Act 2016|work=The Punjab Commission on Status of Women|access-date=4 August 2020}}</ref><ref name="bbc_rape_bill"/><ref name=pakobserver/><ref name=newindianexpress/> | |||
Rape in Pakistan came to international attention after the politically sanctioned rape of ].<ref name="Laird"/><ref name="BBC 2005 Khan"/> The group ] (WAR) has documented the severity of rape in Pakistan, and the police indifference to it.<ref name="Karim p72"/> According to Women's Studies professor Shahla Haeri, rape in Pakistan is "often institutionalized and has the tacit and at times the explicit approval of the state".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1175081|title=Lahore gets first women-only auto-rickshaw to beat 'male pests'|agency=Reuters|date=2015-04-10|website=DAWN.COM|language=en|access-date=2019-10-18}}</ref><ref name="Haeri">{{cite book|last=Haeri|first=Shahla|title=No Shame for the Sun: Lives of Professional Pakistani Women|year=2002|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=978-0815629603|edition=1st|page=|url=https://archive.org/details/noshameforsunliv0000haer|url-access=registration|quote=institutionalized and has the tacit.}}</ref> According to late lawyer ], who was a co-founder of the women's rights group ], up to 72% of women in custody in Pakistan are physically or ].<ref name=Goodwin>{{cite book|last=Goodwin|first=Jan|title=Price of Honor: Muslim Women Lift the Veil of Silence on the Islamic World|year=2002|publisher=Plume|isbn=978-0452283770|page=51|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ghjuAAAAMAAJ&q=Women%27s+Action+Forum}}</ref> | |||
==Magnitude of the problem== | |||
Rape in Pakistan came to international attention after the politically sanctioned gang rape of Mukhtaran Bibi.<ref name=Laird>{{cite book|last=Laird|first=Kathleen Fenner|title=Whose Islam? Pakistani Women's Political Action Groups Speak Ou|year=2008|publisher=Proquest|isbn=9780549465560|page=101}}</ref><ref name=Khan>{{cite news|last=Khan|first=Aamer Ahmed|title=Pakistan's real problem with rape|newspaper=BBC|date=8 September, 2005}}</ref> The group ] (WAR) has documented the severity of the rape problem in Pakistan and of police indifference to it.<ref name=Karim>{{cite book|last=Karim|first=Farhad|title=Contemporary Forms of Slavery in Pakistan|year=1996|publisher=Human Rights Watch|isbn=978-1564321541|page=72}}</ref> According to Women's Studies professor Shahla Haeri, rape in Pakistan is "often institutionalized and has the tacit and at times the explicit approval of the state". <ref name=Haeri>{{cite book|last=Haeri|first=Shahla|title=No Shame for the Sun: Lives of Professional Pakistani Women|year=2002|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=978-0815629603|edition=1st|page=163|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=KsVnV_IUNnAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Haeri,+No+Shame+for+the+Sun&hl=en&src=bmrr&sa=X&ei=-ZTsT-6rJeHk2AW3ncCpAQ&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=institutionalized%20and%20has%20the%20tacit&f=false}}</ref> According to a study by ], there is a rape once every two hours<ref name=Gosselin>{{cite book|last=Gosselin|first=Denise Kindschi|title=Heavy Hands: An Introduction to the Crime of Intimate and Family Violence|year=2009|publisher=Prentice Hall|isbn=978-0136139034|edition=4th|page=13|url=http://books.google.com/books?ei=YJbsT5nvAsfi2QWZyrmzAQ&id=EwxZAAAAYAAJ&dq=Gosselin%2C+Heavy+Hands%3A+An+Introduction+to+the+Crime+of+Intimate+and+Family+Violence&q=Pakistan#search_anchor}}</ref> and a gang rape every eight.<ref name=Foerstel>{{cite book|last=Foerstel|first=Karen|title=Issues in Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class: Selections|year=2009|publisher=Sage|isbn=978-1412979672|page=337|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=9crab0cHypwC&pg=PR13&dq=Karen+Foerstel,+Issues+in+Race,+Ethnicity,+Gender,+and+Class:+Selections&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HZfsT4afNsa22gX2-tilAQ&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAA#v=snippet&q=Pakistan%20found%20that%20a%20woman%20is%20gang-raped%20every%20eight%20hours&f=false}}</ref> ], a lawyer and co-founder of the women's rights group ], estimates that 72 percent of women in police custody in Pakistan are physically or sexually abused.<ref name=Goodwin>{{cite book|last=Goodwin|first=Jan|title=Price of Honor: Muslim Women Lift the Veil of Silence on the Islamic World|year=2002|publisher=Plume|isbn=978-0452283770|page=51|url=http://books.google.com/books?ei=_bjsT5foIYGj2QWs-93gCg&id=ghjuAAAAMAAJ&dq=Jangir%2C+Price+of+Honor%3A+Muslim+Women+Lift+the+Veil+of+Silence+on+the+Islamic+World.&q=Women%27s+Action+Forum#search_anchor}}</ref> | |||
In a study into ] in ] and ] out of a sample of 300 children 17% claimed to have been abused and in 1997 one child a day was reported as raped, gang raped or kidnapped for sexual gratification.<ref name=Rasheed>{{cite book|last=Rasheed|first=Shaireen|title=Childhood In South Asia: A Critical Look At Issues, Policies, And Programs|year=2004|publisher=Information Age|isbn=978-1593110208|editor=Jyotsna Pattnaik|page=183}}</ref> There was international condemnation of former president ] after comments he made during an interview with the ] in 2005. He said "You must understand the environment in Pakistan. This has become a money-making concern. A lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire, get yourself raped."<ref name=Catherwood>{{cite book|last=Catherwood|first=Christopher|title=Encyclopedia of War Crimes and Genocide|year=2006|publisher=Facts On File|isbn=978-0816060016|coauthors=Leslie Alan Horvitz|page=340}}</ref> | |||
Approximately 4,326 cases of rape were reported in the year 2018 followed by 4,377 rape cases in 2019, 3,887 cases in 2020 and 1,866 cases in 2021. The Human Rights Ministry of Pakistan stated that the reports of rape, violence and workplace harassment have gradually and consecutively lowered in the years 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 respectively.<ref>https://www.google.com/s/dailytimes.com.pk/863318/over-14000-women-raped-in-four-years/amp/</ref> Critics say that the conviction rate in the country is low as rape cases in Pakistan take years to prosecute. Rampant corruption in the lower judiciary and political influence can also help the rapist escape punishment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.voanews.com/amp/pakistan-parliament-approves-chemical-castration-of-rapists/6317348.html|title=Pakistan Parliament Approves Chemical Castration of Rapists|date=17 November 2021|work=VOA News}}</ref> | |||
==The legal system== | |||
], burnings, and rapes in Pakistan can be seen as indicating inadequate legal protection for women.<ref name=Datta>{{cite book|last=Datta|first=Rekha|title=Beyond Realism: Human Security in India and Pakistan in the Twenty-First Century|year=2010|publisher=Lexington|isbn=978-0739121559|page=116|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=sbftPFJZuRkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Datta,+Beyond+Realism:+Human+Security+in+India+and+Pakistan+in+the+Twenty-First+Century&hl=en&sa=X&ei=t5fsT6CEMeWe2wW5sOnBAQ&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA#v=snippet&q=does%20not%20protect%20women%20adequately&f=false}}</ref> In 1979 Pakistan passed into law the ], which made all forms of extra-marital sex, including rape, a crime against the state.<ref name=Ross>{{cite book|last=Ross|first=Mary P.|title=Gender Violence: Interdisciplinary Perspectives|year=1997|publisher=New York University Press|isbn=978-0814780411|coauthors=Lori Heise, Nancy Felipe Russo|editor=Laura L. O'Toole, Jessica R. Schiffman|page=225|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=kNh3G6Pqdr0C&pg=PA315&dq=Ross,+Gender+Violence:+Interdisciplinary+Perspectives&hl=en&sa=X&ei=K5jsT8m0KejC2wXkqdWPCA&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA#v=snippet&q=Pakistan%201979&f=false}}</ref> During the time the Hudood Ordinance remained on the statute books, ] documented extensive sexual abuse against female ].<ref name=Karim>{{cite book|last=Karim|first=Farhad|title=Contemporary Forms of Slavery in Pakistan|year=1996|publisher=Human Rights Watch|isbn=978-1564321541|page=72|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=L27-im0kIoMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Karim,+Contemporary+Forms+of+Slavery+in+Pakistan&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bpnsT520C-mC2wWK2cCjAQ&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA#v=snippet&q=fail%20to%20register%20FIRs%20filed%20by%20bonded%20women%20laborers&f=false}}</ref> | |||
In 2019, Government of Pakistan established more than 1,000 special courts across the country. These special courts would focus only on addressing the issues related to violence against women in Pakistan. The establishment of special courts were hailed by many human right organizations.<ref name=reuter2019>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-women-court/pakistan-to-set-up-special-courts-to-tackle-violence-against-women-idUSKCN1TK2X2|title=Pakistan to set up special courts to tackle violence against women|date=20 June 2019|work=Reuters}}</ref> | |||
==Notable cases== | |||
Recently various women and teenage girls have begun to speak out after being assaulted. Going against the tradition that a woman should suffer in silence, they have lobbied news outlets and politicians.<ref name=Afsaruddin>{{cite book|last=Afsaruddin|first=Asma|title=Hermeneutics and Honor: Negotiating Female Public Space in Islamic/Ate Societies|year=2000|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0932885210|page=55}}</ref> A recent report from the ] estimated that in 2009 46 percent of unlawful female killings in Pakistan were "honor killings".<ref name=Nosheen>{{cite news|last=Nosheen|first=Habiba|title=Refusing to Kill Daughter, Pakistani Family Defies Tradition, Draws Anger|newspaper=]|date=28 September 2011|author2=Hilke Schellmann|url=http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/09/refusing-to-kill-daughter-pakistani-family-defies-tradition-draws-anger/245691/}}</ref> | |||
== History == | |||
*] was a 13-year-old schoolgirl when she was kidnapped and gang raped for four days. Her protest has led to the murder of her brother, a death sentence from the elders of her village, and threats from the rapists, who after four years still remain at large.<ref name=Crilly>{{cite news|last=Crilly|first=Rob|title=Pakistan's rape victim who dared to fight back|newspaper='']''|date=26 December, 2010|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/8224111/Pakistans-rape-victim-who-dared-to-fight-back.html}}</ref> | |||
===1947 and 1979=== | |||
*In 2002, 30-year-old ] was gang raped on the orders of the village council as an "honor rape" after allegations that her 12-year-old brother had had sexual relations with a woman from a higher caste.<ref name=Greenberg>{{cite book|last=Greenberg|first=Jerrold S.|title=Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality|publisher=Jones and Bartlett|isbn=978-0763776602|edition=4th revised|coauthors=Clint E. Bruess, Sarah C. Conklin|chapter=Marital Rape|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=5Sy8PJZGyWUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Greenberg,+Exploring+the+Dimensions+of+Human+Sexuality&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sZzsT__kD4Pe2AWtpfTUAQ&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=2002%20Pakistan%20village%20council&f=false}}</ref> | |||
Prior to 1979, Section 375 of the ] stated that girls younger than the age of fourteen were prohibited from sex acts even if consent was acquired.<ref name="auto"/> Despite this, the previous laws also claims that rape during marriage is not considered rape as long as if the wife is over the age of fourteen.<ref name="auto"/> | |||
*In 2005 a woman claimed to have been gang raped by four police officers for refusing to pay them a bribe so her husband would be released from prison. One officer was arrested and three have disappeared. | |||
*A 23-year-old woman in ] made public accusations against the police, saying her husband had been arrested for creating forged documents; she alleges she was raped on the orders of the chief of police for her actions. The officer was suspended but not arrested.<ref name=Khan>{{cite news|last=Khan|first=Aamer Ahmed|title=Pakistan's real problem with rape|publisher=BBC|date=8 September, 2005|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4223436.stm}}</ref> | |||
*In 2012 three members of the Border Police were remanded into custody for raping five women aged between fifteen and twenty-one. The women claim they were taken from a picnic area to the police station in ], where the police filmed themselves sexually assaulting the women.<ref name=AFP>{{cite news|agency=AFP|title=Pakistan policemen accused of drunken rape|newspaper=New Zealand Herald|date=22 June, 2012|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10812451}}</ref> | |||
In 1979, the Pakistani legislature made rape and adultery offences for the first time in the country's history, with the passage of ''The Offence of Zina (Enforcement Of Hudood) Ordinance, 1979''.<ref name="auto">{{Cite journal|last=Noor|first=Azman bin Mohd|date=2012-07-15|journal=IIUM Law Journal|volume=16|issue=2|doi=10.31436/iiumlj.v16i2.55|issn=2289-7852|title=Prosecution of Rape in Islamic Law: A Review of Pakistan Hudood Ordinance 1979}}</ref> The Ordinance changed the punishment for such offences from imprisonment and fines, to punishments such as stoning to death.<ref name="auto"/> Although this new law is stated to protect women, it reinforces that in order to do so there must be concrete evidence. The evidence was most commonly deemed to be a witness who could testify that the rape actually occurred. In 1979, the witness had to be deemed as credible and honest by the ].<ref name="auto"/> | |||
==Historical accounts== | |||
{{main|Rape during the Bangladesh Liberation War}} | |||
According to the Ordinance, rape is defined as:<ref name="auto"/> | |||
During the ], it is estimated that between 200,000<ref name=Saikia>{{cite book|last=Saikia|first=Yasmin|title=Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones: From the Ancient World to the Era of Human Rights|year=2011|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=978-0-8122-4318-5|page=157|editor=Elizabeth D. Heineman|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=gc8oNluhNkEC&pg=PA20&dq=Saikia,+Sexual+Violence+in+Conflict+Zones:+From+the+Ancient+World+to+the+Era+of+Human+Rights&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jp_sT9WbBeXL2QWkqf29AQ&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=two%20hundred%20thousand%20women%20were%20raped&f=false}}</ref> and 400,000<ref name=Riedel>{{cite book|last=Riedel|first=Bruce O.|title=Deadly embrace: Pakistan, America, and the future of the global jihad|year=2011|publisher=Brookings Institution|isbn=978-0-8157-0557-4|page=10|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=w3DQKuPzAXAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Riedel,+Deadly+embrace:+Pakistan,+America,+and+the+future+of+the+global+jihad&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KqDsT6zRDOnM2gWx9M3KAQ&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=400%2C000&f=false}}</ref> women and girls were sexually assaulted by the ] and the ] ("the moon") and the ] ("the sun") militias that supported them.<ref name="Schmid (Editor)">{{cite book|last=Schmid|first=Alex|title=The Routledge Handbook of Terrorism Research|year=2011|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-41157-8|page=600|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=_PXpFxKRsHgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Schmid,+The+Routledge+Handbook+of+Terrorism+Research&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jaLsT9qfA6aE2wWJ9ImfAQ&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Al-Badhr&f=false}}</ref><ref name=Tomsen>{{cite book|last=Tomsen|first=Peter|title=Wars of Afghanistan: Messianic Terrorism, Tribal Conflicts, and the Failures of Great Powers|year=2011|publisher=Public Affairs|isbn=978-1-58648-763-8|page=240|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=zz9_Ve29eL0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Tomsen,+Wars+of+Afghanistan&hl=en&sa=X&ei=JKPsT9jwPOeq2gXc9LWbAQ&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=massacres%2C%20beheadings%2C%20and%20rapes&f=false}}</ref> | |||
{{Ordered list |list_style_type=lower-alpha | |||
{{main|Rape during the partition of India}} | |||
|the sex is occurring against the will of the person | |||
During the ] rape was a frequent occurrence with rapists using slogans like '']'' and '']'' which were tattooed on the bodies of women who were ].<ref>{{cite book|page=43|title=Borders & Boundaries: Women in India's Partition|author=Ritu Menon|author2=Kamla Bhasin|publisher=Rutgers University Press|year=1998|isbn=9780813525525|url=http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=yNN4SE7cL60C&pg=PA43&dq=Hindustan+Zindabad&hl=en&sa=X&ei=IlbPT7yGN8_prQe0tMCjDA&ved=0CEcQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Hindustan%20Zindabad&f=false}}</ref> | |||
|the individual did not consent to partaking in sexual intercourse | |||
|the perpetrator obtains consent by the victim by threatening, hurting or causing fear to the victim. | |||
|the perpetrator and victim are not married}} | |||
===2006 Women Protection Bill=== | |||
==See also== | |||
{{Further|Women's Protection Bill}} | |||
* ] | |||
On 15 November 2006, National Assembly of Pakistan passed Women Protection Bill to amend the heavily criticised 1979 ] laws. Under the new bill, ] for ] and the need for victims to produce four witnesses to prove rape cases were removed. Death penalty and flogging for people convicted of having consensual sex outside marriage was removed. However, Consensual sex outside marriage was still treated as a criminal offense with a punishment of five years in prison or a fine of US$165.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2006/11/16/pakistan-reforms-its-rape-laws-3/|title=Pakistan reforms its rape laws|date=16 November 2016|work=East Bay Times}}</ref> | |||
* ] | |||
Under the Women Protection Bill described rape a man commits rape who has sexual intercourse with a woman:<ref name="pakistani.org" /> | |||
{{Ordered list |list_style_type=lower-roman | |||
|against her will. | |||
|without her consent | |||
|with her consent, when the consent has been obtained by putting her in fear of death or of hurt | |||
|with her consent, when the man knows that he is not married to her and that the consent is given because she believes that the man is another person to whom she is or believes herself to be married; or | |||
|with or without her consent when she is under sixteen years of age.}} | |||
The punishment for rape under 2006 Women Protection Bill is either death or imprisonment of between ten and twenty-five years. For cases related to gang rape, the punishment is either death penalty or life imprisonment.<ref name=pakistani.org/> | |||
===Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offense of Rape) Act 2016=== | |||
On 7 October 2016, ] unanimously passed a new anti-rape and anti-honour killing bills. The new laws introduced harsher punishments for the perpetrators of such crimes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scroll.in/latest/818463/pakistans-parliament-unanimously-passes-anti-rape-anti-honour-killing-bills|title=Pakistan's parliament unanimously passes anti-rape, anti-honour killing Bills|date=7 October 2016|work=Scroll.in}}</ref> According to the new anti-rape bill, DNA testing was made mandatory in rape cases.<ref name=unwomen/> Sabotaging or disrupting the work of a police officer or Government official could result in imprisonment of 1 year under the new law. Government officials who are found taking advantage of their official position to commit act of rape (e.g. custodial rape) are liable to imprisonment for life and a fine.<ref name=2016law/> According to the new law, anyone who rapes a minor or a mentally or physically disabled person will be liable for the death penalty or life imprisonment.<ref name=dawn2016>{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1288569|title=Anti-honour killing, anti-rape bills finally passed|date=7 October 2016|work=Dawn News}}</ref> | |||
Recording of statement of the female survivor of rape or sexual harassment shall be done by an Investigating Officer, in the presence of a female police officer, or a female family member of the survivor. Survivors of rape shall be provided legal aid (if needed) by the Provincial Bar Council.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} The new law also declares that trials for offences such as rape and related crimes shall be conducted in-camera and also allows for the use of technology such as video links to record statements of the victim and witnesses, to spare them the humiliation or risk entailed by court appearances.<ref name=dawn2016/> The media will also be restricted from publishing or publicising the names or any information that would reveal the identity of a victim, except when publishing court judgements.<ref name=dawn2016/> The trial for rape shall conclude within three months. However, if the trial is not completed within three months then the case shall be brought to the notice of the Chief Justice of the High Court for appropriate directions.<ref name=2016law/> The new bill also ensures that sex workers are also included in the law's protection.<ref name=dawn2016/> | |||
] Executive Director, ], hailed the Government of Pakistan's decision to pass the anti-rape and anti-honour killing bills.<ref name=unwomen>{{cite web|url=https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2016/10/ed-statement-on-pakistan-anti-honour-killings-anti-rape-bill|title=Statement by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka congratulating the Government of Pakistan on passage of anti-honour killing and anti-rape bills|date=11 October 2016|work=unwomen.org}}</ref> | |||
===Virginity tests=== | |||
In 2021, ] banned the use of virginity tests in cases where women claim they were raped.<ref>🖉{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2021/1/5/pakistan-court-bans-virginity-tests-for-rape-survivors|title=Pakistan court bans virginity tests for rape survivors|website=www.aljazeera.com}}</ref> | |||
== Notable cases == | |||
Since 2000, various women and young girls have begun to speak out after being ]. Going against the tradition that a woman should suffer in silence, they have lobbied news outlets and politicians.<ref name="Afsaruddin" /> A recent report from the ] estimated that in 2009, 46 percent of unlawful female killings in Pakistan were "honour killings".<ref name="Nosheen Schellmann" /> | |||
* In 2002, 30-year-old ] (]) was gang raped on the orders of the ] as an "honour rape" after allegations that her 12-year-old brother had had sexual relations with a woman from a higher caste.<ref name="Greenberg" /> Although custom would expect her to commit suicide after being raped,<ref name="NYTimes Kristof 2004-09-29" /><ref name="NYTimes Masood 2009-03-09" /><ref name="UN 2006-05-06" /> Mukhtaran spoke up, and pursued the case, which was picked up by both domestic and international media. On 1 September 2002, an ] sentenced 6 men (including the 4 rapists) to death for rape. In 2005, the ] cited "insufficient evidence" and acquitted 5 of the 6 convicted, and commuted the punishment for the sixth man to a ]. Mukhtaran and the government appealed this decision, and the ] suspended the acquittal and held appeal hearings.<ref name="BBC 2005-06-28" /> In 2011, the Supreme Court too acquitted the accused. Mukhtār Mā'ī's story was the subject of a ] documentary called ''Shame'', directed by ],<ref>{{cite web |first=Joanne |last=Kenny |url=http://www.c21media.net/curtain-rises-on-showtimes-fall-slate/ |title=Curtain rises on Showtime's fall slate |publisher=C21 Media |date=20 January 2006 }}</ref> which won awards including a TV Academy Honor (Special Emmy) of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emmys.com/news/second-annual-televison-academy-honors-celebrate-eight-programs-exemplify-television-conscience |title=Second Annual Television Academy Honors to Celebrate Eight Programs that Exemplify 'Television with a Conscience' |date=20 October 2009 |publisher=Television Academy }}</ref> | |||
* A 23-year-old woman in ] made public accusations against the police, saying her husband had been arrested for creating forged documents; she alleges she was raped on the orders of the chief of police for her actions. The officer was suspended but not arrested.<ref name="BBC 2005 Khan" /> | |||
* ] was a 13-year-old schoolgirl when she was kidnapped and gang raped for four days. Her protest has led to the murder of her brother, a death sentence from the elders of her village, and threats from the rapists, who after four years still remain at large.<ref name="Crilly" /> | |||
* In 2012, three members of the Border Police were remanded into custody for raping five women aged between fifteen and twenty-one. The women claim they were taken from a picnic area to the police station in ], where the police filmed themselves sexually assaulting the women.<ref name="AFP" /> | |||
*In January 2014, a village council ordered gang-rape that was carried out in the same Muzaffargarh district where the Mukhtaran Bibi took place in 2002.<ref>Malik Tahseen Raza, '', '']'', 31 January 2014</ref> | |||
*In the 2014 Layyah rape murder incident, on 19 June 2014, a 21-year-old woman was gang raped and murdered in Layyah district, Punjab province of Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news |agency=] |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-woman-raped-and-hanged-from-tree/articleshow/36956942.cms |title=Pakistan woman raped and hanged from tree |newspaper=The Times of India |date=21 June 2014 }}</ref> | |||
* In September 2014, three sons of Mian Farooq, a ruling party parliamentarian from Faisalabad, were accused of abducting and gang raping of a teenage girl. The rapists were later released by the court.<ref>{{cite news |first=Azhar |last=Nadeem |url=http://www.pakistantribune.com.pk/20989/three-sons-of-pmln-lawmaker-booked-for-raping-teenager-in-faisalabad.html#sthash.AbYbZCtu.dpuf |title=Three Sons of PMLN Lawmaker Booked for Raping Teenager in Faisalabad |newspaper=Pakistan Tribune |date=13 September 2014 |access-date=15 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150801144727/http://www.pakistantribune.com.pk/20989/three-sons-of-pmln-lawmaker-booked-for-raping-teenager-in-faisalabad.html#sthash.AbYbZCtu.dpuf |archive-date=1 August 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
* In July 2017, a panchayat ordered rape of a 16-year-old girl in ] as punishment for her brother's conduct.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/398650-Multan-panchayat-orders-rape-of-alleged-rapists-s|title=Multan panchayat orders rape of alleged rapist's sister|work=]|date=27 July 2017|access-date=13 January 2018}}</ref> | |||
* In December 2017, a 25-year-old woman was gang-raped by four ]s during a robbery at her house in ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1596688/1-four-robbers-accused-gang-raping-woman-heist-killed-multan-encounter/|title=Four robbers accused of gang raping woman during heist killed in Multan encounter|work=]|date=30 December 2017|access-date=13 January 2018}}</ref> | |||
* In January 2018, a seven-year-old girl named ] was raped and strangled to death in ]. The incident caused nationwide outrage in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/11/protests-pakistan-police-inaction-rape-murder-girl-seven|title=Protests in Pakistan over inaction on rape and murder of girl, seven|work=]|date=11 January 2018|access-date=13 January 2018}}</ref> The same month, a 16-year-old girl was raped and killed in ],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1605933/1-girl-raped-killed-sargodha-day-kasur-tragedy/|title=Girl raped, killed in Sargodha a day after Kasur tragedy|work=]|date=11 January 2018|access-date=13 January 2018}}</ref> and a day later, in the same city, a 13-year-old boy was intoxicated and sexually assaulted by two men belonging to an influential family.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1382488|title=13-year-old boy intoxicated, sexually assaulted by two men in Sargodha|work=]|date= 2018|access-date=13 January 2018}}</ref> In Faisalabad, the same day, a 15-year-old boy was found dead. The later medical reports confirmed a sexual assault.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/267262-faisalabad-student-murdered-after-rape-as-nation-mourns-zainab|title=Faisalabad student murdered after 'rape' as nation mourns Zainab|work=]|date=11 January 2018|access-date=13 January 2018}}</ref> A few days later, the dead body of a 3-year-old girl, named Asma, was found in Mardan, who had been reportedly missing for 24 hours.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nation.com.pk/16-Jan-2018/missing-girl-found-dead-after-24-hours|title=Missing girl found dead after 24 hours|date=16 January 2018|access-date=17 January 2018|work=The Nation|author=Riaz Khan}}</ref> Her postmortem report points that she had been raped before her murder.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/269383|title=Autopsy confirms Asma raped before murder in Mardan|date=17 January 2018|access-date=17 January 2018|work=The News|author=Arshad Aziz Malik}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/182931/|title=Shehbaz condemns murder of 3-year-old Asma in Mardan, urges to fight political battles later|date=17 January 2018|access-date=17 January 2018|work=Daily Times}}</ref> These unfortunate events caused to shape more proactive role and participation in Pakistan's women's rights movements like ']' and ].<ref name=":492">{{Cite news|last=Dunaway|first=Jaime|url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/01/metoo-spreads-to-kenya-pakistan-and-china-after-sexual-harassment-and-assault-allegations.html|title=Why the #MeToo Movement Just Took Off in Kenya, Pakistan, and China|work=Slate|access-date=January 30, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129165753/https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/01/metoo-spreads-to-kenya-pakistan-and-china-after-sexual-harassment-and-assault-allegations.html|archive-date=January 29, 2018}}</ref> UNODC Goodwill Ambassador ] collaborated with ] to introduce awareness about education against child sexual abuse in Sindh.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/176389|title=Shehzad Roy calls Kasur incident 'heart-wrenching', demands justice|date=11 January 2018|access-date=17 January 2018|publisher=Geo News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1609241/1/|title=Sindh govt to introduce awareness on child sexual abuse in school curriculum|date=15 January 2018|access-date=17 January 2018|work=The Express Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/177384|title=Sindh approves life skills based education for class 6 to 9|date=17 January 2018|access-date=17 January 2018|publisher=Geo News}}</ref> | |||
*In September 2020, a resident of Gujranwala was gang raped by two robbers roughly during midnight when her car stalled mid-way due to a fuel shortage, shortly after she had crossed Lahore's toll plaza (outside the limits of Lahore City) on her journey back to Gujranwala, on a secluded segment of M-11 Lahore-Sialkot Motorway. She was accompanied by two of her three children (a toddler and a 4 year old) and perturbed for her own and their safety, she immediately conveyed the trouble to her relatives at Gujranwala and the Motorway Police who, allegedly, informed her that the portion where she was stuck at, was not as of yet "under their jurisdiction" after which she also called the local police and waited for some help. However, one of the rapists, Abid Ali, an inveterate criminal, a murderer, rapist, convict and absconder taking unlawful refuge in an adjacent village (after having seamlessly evaded arrest against his past infringements for over a decade) immediately spotted her car from the roof he was present on, much before any help could arrive. He, accompanied by his gangmate, (reportedly, after one other had turned down the idea of involvement at that moment in time due to unknown reasons) hastily approached the car and broke open the windows of the locked car and forcibly took the startled and terrified woman and her children down the side embankment slope of the main carriageway, into a sequestered region besides forest area. Both of them raped the woman while the children, in a state of shock, threatened and beaten and too young to comprehend or react, were present nearby throughout the entire ordeal. They then robbed the woman of her belongings and threatened to kill her but did not inflict further injury and eventually eloped in the abyss. Intensive man-hunt operations were launched by law enforcement agencies after several nationwide demonstrations eventuated demanding the immediate arrest of perpetrators, By November 2020, both of the perpetrators had been arrested and are currently undergoing trials in terrorism courts. A lead police official commented that she should not have travelled alone such late night and should've checked her fuel levels before embarking on her journey. These comments were perceived as sexist and apologetic of rape, leading to an outcry over ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54186609 |title=Pakistan outcry over police victim-blaming of gang-raped mother |website=BBC |date=19 September 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/sep/11/backlash-in-pakistan-as-police-appear-to-blame-woman-motorist-for-gang |title=Backlash in Pakistan as police appear to blame woman for gang rape |website=The Guardian |date=11 September 2020 }}</ref> Just a few days earlier, a 5-year-old girl was raped in ], hit on the head and set on fire.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/11/world/asia/pakistan-rape-5-year-old-lahore-karachi.html |title=Rapes of Woman and 5-Year-Old Fuel Outrage in Pakistan |website=The New York Times |date=11 September 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bolnews.com/latest/2020/09/motorway-gang-rape-police-manage-to-reach-culprits/ |title=Motorway Gang-Rape: Police Manage To Reach Culprits | |||
|website=BOL News |date=12 September 2020 }}</ref> | |||
*8 February 2021 : a boy was found dead after being sexually assaulted in Chowk Steel Bagh area after remaining missing for five days.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=2021-02-07|title='Murder' of teenage boy sparks protest|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/2283064/murder-of-teenage-boy-sparks-protest|access-date=2021-08-27|website=The Express Tribune|language=en}}</ref> According to the police report, the 15-year-old son of Mustafa went missing after going to a poultry farm in Raukhanwala area for work. The relatives of the boy chanted slogans and protested against the police and demanded that the charge of sexual abuse be included in the case against the suspects and that justice be served.<ref name=":4" /> | |||
* 11 October 2024: A 17-year-old student at the ] Lahore was allegedly raped by the security guard of the institute. | |||
==Types== | |||
The group ] (WAR) has documented the severity of the rape problem in Pakistan and of police indifference to it.<ref name="Karim p72"/> WAR is an ] whose mission is to publicize the problem of rape in Pakistan; in a report released in 1992, of 60 reported cases of rape, 20% involved police officers. In 2008 the group claimed that several of its members were assaulted by a religious group as they tried to help a woman who had been ] identify her assailants.<ref name=Report>{{cite news|title=Rape case muddied by claims of 3 parties|newspaper=Daily Times|date=20 March 2008}}</ref> | |||
According to a study carried out by ] there is a rape once every two hours,<ref name=Gosselin>{{cite book|last=Gosselin|first=Denise Kindschi|title=Heavy Hands: An Introduction to the Crime of Intimate and Family Violence|year=2009|publisher=Prentice Hall|isbn=978-0136139034|edition=4th|page=13|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EwxZAAAAYAAJ&q=Pakistan}}</ref> a gang rape every hour <ref>{{cite book|last= Aleem|first=Shamim|title=Women, Peace, and Security: (An International Perspective)|year=2013|page=64|publisher=Xlibris Corporation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cegFAQAAQBAJ&q=rape+statistics+pakistan+%22every+hour%22&pg=PA64|isbn=9781483671123}}</ref><ref name="Foerstel">{{cite book|last=Foerstel|first=Karen|title=Issues in Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class: Selections|year=2009|publisher=Sage|isbn=978-1412979672|page=337|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9crab0cHypwC&q=Karen+Foerstel,+Issues+in+Race,+Ethnicity,+Gender,+and+Class:+Selections&pg=PR13}}</ref> and 70-90 percent women are suffering with some kind of domestic violence.<ref name="Gosselin" /> | |||
According to Women's Studies professor Shahla Haeri, rape in Pakistan is "often institutionalized and has the tacit and at times the explicit approval of the state".<ref name="Haeri" /> According to a study by ], there is a rape once every two hours<ref name="Gosselin" /> and a gang rape every eight.<ref name="Foerstel"/> ], a lawyer and co-founder of the women's rights group ], reported in a 1988 study of female detainees in ] that around 72 percent of them stated they had been sexually abused while in custody.<ref name="Jahangir_HRW" /> | |||
===Rape by family members=== | |||
According to WAR, over 82% of rapists are family members including fathers, brothers, grandfathers and uncles of the victims.<ref name="Nayadaur">{{cite news |date=15 September 2020|title=Over 82 Per Cent Of Rapists Are Fathers Or Brothers Of Victim: PTI MNA|url=https://nayadaur.tv/2020/09/over-82-per-cent-of-rapists-are-fathers-or-brothers-of-victim-pti-mna/| newspaper=Nayadaur}}</ref> The crimes come to light when the girls get pregnant and go to gynecologists for abortion. The mothers do not go to the police either.<ref name="Nayadaur"/> | |||
According to NGO ''Sustainable Social Development Organization'', reported rapes and sexual assaults soared as much as 400% quarter on quarter during the COVID-19 lockdown, due to Covid restrictions forcing children to remain indoors thus allowing relatives to more frequently abuse them.<ref name="Asia Times">{{cite news |last= Shakil|first= FM|date=6 October 2020|title=Child rape soars behind Covid-closed doors in Pakistan|url=https://asiatimes.com/2020/10/child-rape-soars-behind-covid-closed-doors-in-pakistan/| newspaper=Asia Times}}</ref> | |||
=== Marital rape === | |||
In Pakistan, approximately 20-30% of women face some form of ] during their lifetime.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ali|first1=Faridah A.|last2=Israr|first2=Syed M.|last3=Ali|first3=Badar S.|last4=Janjua|first4=Naveed Z.|date=2009-12-01|title=Association of various reproductive rights, domestic violence and marital rape with depression among Pakistani women|journal=BMC Psychiatry|volume=9|issue=1|pages=77| doi=10.1186/1471-244X-9-77 |doi-access=free|pmid=19951410|pmc=2791762|issn=1471-244X}}</ref> ] is a common form of spousal abuse as it is not considered to be a crime under the ] laws.{{sfn|Hussain|Khan|2008|pp=468–483}} Many men and women in Pakistan are raised with the beliefs that "sex is a man's right in marriage".{{sfn|Hussain|Khan|2008|pp=468–483}} Women are instilled with the concept that their purpose in society is to fulfill a man's desires as well as to bear ].{{sfn|Hussain|Khan|2008|pp=468–483}} The topic of sex is a ] subject in Pakistan, therefore women often refrain from reporting their experiences with rape.{{sfn|Hussain|Khan|2008|pp=468–483}} Marital abuse in general is considered to be a family and private matter in Pakistan which is another reason of why women refrain from reporting in fear of social judgement.{{sfn|Hussain|Khan|2008|pp=468–483}} Non consensual marital sex can lead to issues with reproductive health, unsafe sex, as well as unwanted pregnancies.{{sfn|Hussain|Khan|2008|pp=468–483}} Studies show that marital rape continues throughout the course of pregnancies, as well as can lead to the birth of numerous babies.{{sfn|Hussain|Khan|2008|pp=468–483}} Studies show that marital rape commonly occurs in Pakistan because of the husband's desire to have more children and in particular, to have sons.{{sfn|Hussain|Khan|2008|pp=468–483}} Even in cases of non-consensual pregnancy resulting from rape, the reward in increased status could be great enough that women choose to keep the baby, but women who have already borne sons often seek ] and in some cases ] to avoid the unintended pregnancies that result from rapes. Women have had the procedure done without their husbands permission. Men sometimes get a ] but it is far more common for women to become sterilized. Sometimes after the operation the husband's demands for sex increase.{{sfn|Hussain|Khan|2008|pp=474–475}} | |||
Marital rape is treated the same as any other rape in Pakistani law punishable with death by hanging or up to 25 years in prison. However, only one case of marital rape has been reported in Pakistan despite it being a common problem. {{citation needed|date=September 2020}} | |||
Firstly, the role of cultural pressures and expectations from a woman in marriage,<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Marital satisfaction in Pakistan: A pilot investigation|first1=Farah|last1=Qadir|first2=Padmal de|last2=Silva|first3=Martin|last3=Prince|first4=Murad|last4=Khan|date=1 May 2005|journal=Sexual and Relationship Therapy|volume=20|issue=2|pages=195–209|doi=10.1080/14681990500113260|s2cid=144082552}}</ref> with wife's own mother encouraging the husband to try and consummate the marriage against wife's will. Secondly, justice is only available to educated and resourceful Pakistani women with considerable social status, with access to female police, and access to a female judge willing to hold an in-camera trial after hours.<ref>{{Cite SSRN|title=Women Judges and Women's Rights in Pakistan|first=Livia|last=Holden|date=8 September 2017|ssrn=3034280}}</ref> Finally, a combination of corporal punishment and fine is an appropriate sentence rather than a long jail sentence, as a wife may be financially dependent on the husband, and the husband may learn his lesson, in particular, if the act was committed under societal pressure to consummate the marriage.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alnVjw9taWg|title=Did BHOLA Rape NOORI? {{pipe}} Ranjha Ranjha Kardi {{pipe}} Aangan {{pipe}} Inkaar {{pipe}} WIR {{pipe}} Something Haute - YouTube|website=www.youtube.com|date=22 March 2019 }}</ref> | |||
===Child sexual abuse=== | |||
] is widespread in Pakistani schools.<ref>{{cite news |first=Kathy |last=Gannon |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/ap-probe-sex-abuse-pervasive-070436794.html |title=Sexual abuse is pervasive in Islamic schools in Pakistan |publisher=] |date=21 November 2017 |access-date=21 November 2017 |archive-date=21 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121080524/https://www.yahoo.com/news/ap-probe-sex-abuse-pervasive-070436794.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/89873/why-are-we-silent-about-the-sexual-abuse-at-madrassas/ |title=Why are we silent about the sexual abuse at madrassas? |author=Ernest, J|date=26 October 2019|work=Pakistan Express Tribune|access-date=23 April 2020}}</ref> In a study of child sexual abuse in ] and ], out of a sample of 300 children 17% claimed to have been abused and in 1997 one child a day was reported as raped, gang raped or kidnapped for sexual gratification.<ref name="Rasheed" /> In September 2014, the British ] broadcast a ] called ''Pakistan's Hidden Shame'', directed by ] and produced by ],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/programmes/pakistans-hidden-shame/4od |title=Pakistan's Hidden Shame|publisher=] |date=1 September 2014 |access-date=25 September 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Coilin |last=O'Connor |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/pakistan--hidden-shame-sex-abuse-peshawar/26574900.html |title=New Film Lays Bare 'Pakistan's Hidden Shame' |publisher=] |date=9 September 2014 }}</ref> which highlighted the problem of sexual abuse of street children in particular, an estimated 90 percent of whom have been sexually abused. | |||
The practice of ], a custom involving sexual abuse of adolescent males or boys by older men is reported to be common in the areas of ].<ref name="Toronto Sun">{{cite news |last= Hassan|first= Farzana|date=11 January 2018|title=HASSAN: Pakistan needs to do soul-searching over sexual abuse|url=https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/hassan-pakistan-needs-to-do-soul-searching-over-sexual-abuse| newspaper=Toronto Sun}}</ref><ref name="Wijngaarden">{{cite journal |last= Wijngaarden|first= Jan Willem de Lind van|date= October 2011|title=Male adolescent concubinage in Peshawar, Northwestern Pakistan|journal= Culture, Health & Sexuality|volume= 13|issue= 9|pages= 1061–1072|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23047511|publisher=Taylor & Francis, Ltd|doi= 10.1080/13691058.2011.599863|jstor= 23047511|pmid= 21815728|s2cid= 5058030|access-date=26 December 2020}}</ref> While Pakistan has laws for the protection of children and banning of homosexuality, these are rarely enforced and bacha bazi is justified as a cultural tradition.<ref name="ADC">{{cite web |last= Sakhno|first= Inessa|date= 30 May 2020|title=Bacha Bazi: A Form of Child Sexual Exploitation|url=https://adcmemorial.org/en/news/bacha-bazi-a-form-of-child-sexual-exploitation/|publisher=Anti-Discrimination Centre|access-date=9 January 2020}}</ref> | |||
The NGO Sahil reported 3,832 cases of child abuse in 2018 which is an 11 per cent increase from 2017 (3,445 cases). Most of these cases are reported in Punjab province and the fewest cases were reported in Gilgit Baltistan province. About 72 percent of the cases are reported in rural areas and 28 percent in urban areas.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Over 10 children abused every day in Pakistan in 2018: Sahil report|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1473645|access-date=17 April 2020}}</ref> | |||
==== Kasur scandal ==== | |||
{{Main|Kasur child sexual abuse scandal}} | |||
The Kasur child sexual abuse scandal is a series of ]s that occurred in Hussain Khanwala village in ], ], ] from 2006 to 2014, culminating in a major ] in 2015. After the discovery of hundreds of video clips showing children performing ], various ] estimated that 280 to 300 children, most of them male, were victims of sexual abuse.<ref name="The Nation 1">{{cite news|last1=Javed|first1=Ashraf|title=Country's biggest child abuse scandal jolts Punjab|url=http://nation.com.pk/national/08-Aug-2015/country-s-biggest-child-abuse-scandal-jolts-punjab|access-date=11 August 2015|work=The Nation|date=8 August 2015}}</ref> The scandal involved an ] ring that sold ] to ], and ] and ] relatives of the victims.<ref name=Tribune>{{cite news|title=Kasur child porn case: Amid nationwide outrage, PM vows to punish culprits|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/935123/kasur-child-porn-scandal-amid-nationwide-outrage-pm-vows-to-punish-culprits/|access-date=11 August 2015|work=The Express Tribune|agency=PPI|date=10 August 2015}}</ref> | |||
===Revenge rape=== | |||
In 2002, when a 12-year-old boy was accused of affair with a woman, the jirga (council of local elders) ordered his elder sister ] (28 year) to be gangraped as a revenge. In 2017 a boy raped a 12-year-old girl and the jirga ordered his sister to be raped as revenge. But the police arrested them.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-40731035|title=Pakistan village council orders 'revenge rape' of girl|work=BBC News |date=26 July 2017 |access-date=17 April 2020}}</ref> | |||
===Rape of minorities=== | |||
{{See also|Forced conversion of minority girls in Pakistan}} | |||
The rape and assault of Christian, Hindu women are reported in Pakistan.<ref name= "IBT">{{cite web |url= http://www.ibtimes.com/india-has-rape-crisis-pakistans-may-be-even-worse-1011268 | title = India Has A Rape Crisis, But Pakistan's May Be Even Worse | work= International Business Times | date=13 January 2013| access-date=3 September 2016}}</ref><ref name= "PMS">{{cite web |url= http://www.fides.org/en/news/35368-ASIA_PAKISTAN_Women_in_Pakistan_Christian_girls_raped_by_Muslims | title = ASIA/PAKISTAN - Women in Pakistan: Christian girls raped by Muslims | work= Pontifical Mission Society | date=19 May 2014| access-date=3 September 2016}}</ref><ref name= "Trib">{{cite web |url= http://tribune.com.pk/story/488993/targeting-hindu-girls-for-rape/ | title = Targeting Hindu girls for rape | work= Express Tribune | date=4 January 2013| access-date=3 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2013/country-chapters/pakistan | title= World Report 2013: Pakistan | work= ] | access-date= 3 September 2016| date= 10 January 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.hindustantimes.com/world/plight-of-ahmadiyyas-mps-want-british-govt-to-review-aid-to-pakistan/story-V9oYudXfAce5KtUtKfeBHP.html | title= Plight of Ahmadiyyas: MPs want British govt to review aid to Pakistan | work= Hindustan Times, London | first= Prasun | last=Sonwalkar | date= 12 February 2016 | access-date= 3 September 2016 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160903013429/http://www.hindustantimes.com/world/plight-of-ahmadiyyas-mps-want-british-govt-to-review-aid-to-pakistan/story-V9oYudXfAce5KtUtKfeBHP.html| archive-date= 3 September 2016}}</ref> Inaction, refusal to file complaints, intimidation and corruption amongst the police and judiciary are also frequent problems.<ref name= "CT1">{{cite web |url= http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christian.woman.gang.raped.by.three.muslim.men.in.pakistan/68755.htm | title = Christian woman gang raped by three Muslim men in Pakistan | work= Christianity Today | date= 26 October 2015| access-date=5 July 2016}}</ref><ref name= "WN">{{cite web |url= https://www.worthynews.com/2035-rape-of-christian-girl-in-pakistan-ignored-by-police | title = Rape of Christian Girl in Pakistan Ignored by Police | work= Worthy News | date= 11 August 2002| access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref><ref name= "CP1">{{cite web |url= http://www.christianpost.com/news/pakistan-christian-community-outraged-following-rape-of-12-year-old-girl-by-muslim-men-125215/ | title = Pakistan Christian Community Outraged Following Rape of 12-Year-Old Girl by Muslim Men | work= Christian Post| date= 22 August 2014| access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref><ref name= "CP2">{{cite web |url= http://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-woman-gang-raped-pakistan-muslim-attacks-escalate-162666/ | title = Pakistan Christian Community Outraged Christian Woman Gang-Raped in Pakistan as Attacks Against Believers Escalate | work= Christian Post| date= 26 July 2016| access-date=16 July 2016}}</ref><ref name= "BF">{{cite web | url= https://barnabasfund.org/news/17-year-old-Christian-woman-in-Pakistan-raped-during-Muslim-celebration-of-Eid-al-Fitr?audience=GB | title= 17-year-old Christian woman in Pakistan raped during Muslim celebration of Eid al-Fitr | work= Barnabas Fund News | date= 14 July 2016 | access-date= 16 July 2016 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160816234622/https://barnabasfund.org/news/17-year-old-Christian-woman-in-Pakistan-raped-during-Muslim-celebration-of-Eid-al-Fitr?audience=GB | archive-date= 16 August 2016 | url-status= live }}</ref><ref name= AJz>{{cite web |url= http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2016/1/pakistans-history-of-rape-impunity.html | title = Pakistan's history of rape impunity | work= Al Jazeera | first= Maham | last= Javaid | date= 28 January 2016}}</ref><ref name= Ilyas>{{cite web | url= http://www.dawn.com/news/1197650/woman-speaks-of-forced-conversion-denial-to-lodge-fir-of-rape-trafficking | title= Woman speaks of forced conversion, denial to lodge FIR of rape, trafficking | first = Faiza | last= Ilyas | work= Dawn | date= 1 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=1,000 girls forcibly converted to Islam in Pakistan every year|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/51401-1000-girls-forcibly-converted-to-islam-in-pakistan-every-year|access-date=7 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="Yudhvir Rana (January 30th, 2020).">Yudhvir Rana (January 30th, 2020). ''''. Times of India. Retrieved March 3rd, 2020.</ref> | |||
== Attitudes == | |||
Rape in Pakistan came to international attention after Mukhtaran Bibi charged her attackers with rape and spoke out about her experiences.<ref name="Laird" /><ref name="BBC 2005 Khan" /> She was then denied the right to leave the country. The matter of her refused visit to the US was raised in an interview by the '']'' with the then President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, who claimed to champion "Moderate Islam" that "respect the rights of women", and complained that his country is "unfairly portrayed as a place where rape and other violence against women are rampant and frequently condoned".<ref name="South Asia Tribune" /> He said that he had relented over allowing her to leave the country, and remarked that being raped had "become a money-making concern", a way to get rich abroad. This statement provoked an uproar, and Musharraf later denied having made it.<ref name="South Asia Tribune" /> | |||
The statement was made in the light of the fact that another rape victim, Dr Shazia Khalid, had left Pakistan, was living in Canada, and had spoken out against official attitudes to rape in Pakistan. Musharraf said of her: "It is the easiest way of doing it. Every second person now wants to come up and get all the because there is so much of finances. Dr. Shazia, I don't know. But maybe she's a case of money (too), that she wants to make money. She is again talking all against Pakistan, against whatever we've done. But I know what the realities are."<ref name="Amir 2005-09-26" /> | |||
DNA test and other scientific evidence are used in prosecuting rape cases in Pakistan.<ref name="bbc_rape_bill">{{cite news | |||
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6178214.stm | |||
|title=Pakistan senate backs rape bill | |||
|date=23 November 2006 | |||
|access-date=2007-01-06 | |||
|work=BBC News}}</ref><ref name=pakobserver>{{cite web|url=https://pakobserver.net/dna-test-report-of-rape-case-accused-matches/|title=DNA test report of rape case accused matches|date=26 January 2020|work=Pakistan Observer}}</ref><ref name=newindianexpress>{{cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2018/jan/23/zainab-rape-case-prime-suspect-arrested-in-pakistans-punjab-province-1762122.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125083612/http://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2018/jan/23/zainab-rape-case-prime-suspect-arrested-in-pakistans-punjab-province-1762122.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 January 2018|title=Zainab rape case: Prime suspect arrested in Pakistan's Punjab province|quote=Police have carried out DNA test of more than 1,000 suspects.|work=New Indian Express|date=23 January 2018}}</ref> | |||
== See also == | |||
{{portal|Pakistan}} | |||
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== References == | |||
{{reflist | |||
| colwidth = 30em | |||
| refs = | |||
<ref name="Karim p72">{{cite book | last = Karim | first = Farhad | year = 1996 | page = 72 | title = Contemporary Forms of Slavery in Pakistan | publisher = Human Rights Watch | isbn = 978-1-56432-154-1 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=L27-im0kIoMC&q=Karim,+Contemporary+Forms+of+Slavery+in+Pakistan}}</ref> | |||
<ref name="Jahangir_HRW">{{cite book | last1 = Jahangir | first1 = Asma | last2 = Jilani | first2 = Hina | year = 1990 | page = 137 | title = The Hudood Ordinances: A Divine Sanction? | location = Lahore | publisher = Rhotas Books}}; cited in {{cite web | author = Human Rights Watch | year = 1992 | page = 26 | title = Double Jeopardy: Police Abuse of Women in Pakistan | url = http://dspace.cigilibrary.org/jspui/bitstream/123456789/17295/1/Double%20Jeopardy%20Police%20Abuse%20of%20Women%20in%20Pakistan.pdf | access-date = 24 July 2012 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> | |||
<ref name="Rasheed">{{cite book | last = Rasheed | first = Shaireen | year = 2004 | page = | title = Childhood In South Asia: A Critical Look At Issues, Policies, And Programs | publisher = Information Age | isbn = 978-1-59311-020-8 | editor = Jyotsna Pattnaik | url = https://archive.org/details/childhoodinsouth0000unse/page/183 }}</ref> | |||
<ref name="Laird">{{cite book | last = Laird | first = Kathleen Fenner | page = 101 | title = Whose Islam? Pakistani Women's Political Action Groups Speak Out | year = 2008 | isbn = 978-0-549-46556-0}}</ref> | |||
<ref name="BBC 2005 Khan">{{cite news | last = Khan | first = Aamer Ahmed | title = Pakistan's real problem with rape | publisher = BBC | date=8 September 2005 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4223436.stm}}</ref> | |||
<ref name="South Asia Tribune">{{cite web | title = Musharraf is 'Silly and Stupid' says Washington Post | publisher = South Asia Tribune | url = http://satribune.wordpress.com/law-unto-himself/musharraf-is-silly-and-stupid-says-washington-post-2/ | access-date = 25 July 2012| date = 30 October 2007 }} {{unreliable source?|date=July 2012}}</ref> | |||
<ref name="Amir 2005-09-26">{{cite web | last = Amir | first = Ayaz | date = 26 September 2005 | title = Blundering Musharraf begins to lose his balance | url = http://antisystemic.org/satribune/www.satribune.com/archives/200509/P1_ayaz.htm | publisher = South Asia Tribune | access-date = 25 July 2012}} {{unreliable source?|date=July 2012}}</ref> | |||
<ref name="Afsaruddin">{{cite book | last = Afsaruddin | first = Asma | page = | title = Hermeneutics and Honor: Negotiating Female Public Space in Islamic/Ate Societies | year = 2000 | publisher = Harvard University Press | isbn = 978-0-932885-21-0 | url = https://archive.org/details/hermeneuticshono0000unse/page/55 }}</ref> | |||
<ref name="Nosheen Schellmann">{{cite journal | last1 = Nosheen | first1 = Habiba | last2 = Schellmann | first2 = Hilke | date = 28 September 2011 | title = Refusing to Kill Daughter, Pakistani Family Defies Tradition, Draws Anger | journal = ] | url = https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/09/refusing-to-kill-daughter-pakistani-family-defies-tradition-draws-anger/245691/}}</ref> | |||
<ref name="Greenberg">{{cite book | last = Greenberg | first = Jerrold S. | date = 10 March 2010 |author2=Clint E. Bruess |author3=Sarah C. Conklin | chapter = Marital Rape | title = Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality | edition = 4th revised | publisher = Jones and Bartlett | isbn = 978-0-7637-7660-2 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=5Sy8PJZGyWUC&q=Greenberg,+Exploring+the+Dimensions+of+Human+Sexuality}}</ref> | |||
<ref name="NYTimes Kristof 2004-09-29">{{cite news | last = Kristof | first = Nicholas D. | date = 29 September 2004 | title = Sentenced to Be Raped | newspaper = The New York Times | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/29/opinion/29kris.html | access-date = 25 July 2012}}</ref> | |||
<ref name="NYTimes Masood 2009-03-09">{{cite news | last = Masood | first = Salman | date = 17 March 2009 | title = Pakistani Woman Who Shattered Stigma of Rape Is Married | newspaper = The New York Times | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/world/asia/18mukhtar.html | access-date = 25 July 2012}}</ref> | |||
<ref name="UN 2006-05-06">{{cite web | date = 2 May 2006 | title = Pakistani rape survivor turned education crusader honoured at UN | publisher = United Nations | work = UN News Centre | url = https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=18322&Cr=Mukhtar&Cr1=Mai | access-date = 25 July 2012}}</ref> | |||
<ref name="BBC 2005-06-28">{{cite news | work = BBC News | date = 28 June 2005 | title = Pakistan rape acquittals rejected | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4629457.stm}}</ref> | |||
<ref name="Crilly">{{cite news | last = Crilly | first = Rob | date = 26 December 2010 | title = Pakistan's rape victim who dared to fight back | newspaper = ] | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/8224111/Pakistans-rape-victim-who-dared-to-fight-back.html}}</ref> | |||
<ref name="AFP">{{cite news | agency = AFP | date = 22 June 2012 | title = Pakistan policemen accused of drunken rape | newspaper = New Zealand Herald | url = http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10812451}}</ref> | |||
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{{cite book | last = Riedel | first = Bruce O. | year = 2011 | page = 10 | title = Deadly embrace: Pakistan, America, and the future of the global jihad | publisher = Brookings Institution | isbn = 978-0-8157-0557-4 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=w3DQKuPzAXAC&q=400%2C000 | |||
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{{cite book | last = Schmid | first = Alex | year = 2011 | page = 600 | title = The Routledge Handbook of Terrorism Research | publisher = Routledge | isbn = 978-0-415-41157-8 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_PXpFxKRsHgC&q=Al-Badhr | |||
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Latest revision as of 17:27, 4 January 2025
Overview of rape and other sexual violence in Pakistan
Punishment for rape in Pakistan under the Pakistani laws is either death penalty or imprisonment of between ten and twenty-five years. For cases related to gang rape, the punishment is either death penalty or life imprisonment. DNA test and other scientific evidence are used in prosecuting rape cases in Pakistan.
Rape in Pakistan came to international attention after the politically sanctioned rape of Mukhtaran Bibi. The group War Against Rape (WAR) has documented the severity of rape in Pakistan, and the police indifference to it. According to Women's Studies professor Shahla Haeri, rape in Pakistan is "often institutionalized and has the tacit and at times the explicit approval of the state". According to late lawyer Asma Jahangir, who was a co-founder of the women's rights group Women's Action Forum, up to 72% of women in custody in Pakistan are physically or sexually abused.
Approximately 4,326 cases of rape were reported in the year 2018 followed by 4,377 rape cases in 2019, 3,887 cases in 2020 and 1,866 cases in 2021. The Human Rights Ministry of Pakistan stated that the reports of rape, violence and workplace harassment have gradually and consecutively lowered in the years 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 respectively. Critics say that the conviction rate in the country is low as rape cases in Pakistan take years to prosecute. Rampant corruption in the lower judiciary and political influence can also help the rapist escape punishment.
In 2019, Government of Pakistan established more than 1,000 special courts across the country. These special courts would focus only on addressing the issues related to violence against women in Pakistan. The establishment of special courts were hailed by many human right organizations.
History
1947 and 1979
Prior to 1979, Section 375 of the Pakistan Penal Code stated that girls younger than the age of fourteen were prohibited from sex acts even if consent was acquired. Despite this, the previous laws also claims that rape during marriage is not considered rape as long as if the wife is over the age of fourteen.
In 1979, the Pakistani legislature made rape and adultery offences for the first time in the country's history, with the passage of The Offence of Zina (Enforcement Of Hudood) Ordinance, 1979. The Ordinance changed the punishment for such offences from imprisonment and fines, to punishments such as stoning to death. Although this new law is stated to protect women, it reinforces that in order to do so there must be concrete evidence. The evidence was most commonly deemed to be a witness who could testify that the rape actually occurred. In 1979, the witness had to be deemed as credible and honest by the Qazi.
According to the Ordinance, rape is defined as:
- the sex is occurring against the will of the person
- the individual did not consent to partaking in sexual intercourse
- the perpetrator obtains consent by the victim by threatening, hurting or causing fear to the victim.
- the perpetrator and victim are not married
2006 Women Protection Bill
Further information: Women's Protection BillOn 15 November 2006, National Assembly of Pakistan passed Women Protection Bill to amend the heavily criticised 1979 Hudood Ordinance laws. Under the new bill, death penalty for extramarital sex and the need for victims to produce four witnesses to prove rape cases were removed. Death penalty and flogging for people convicted of having consensual sex outside marriage was removed. However, Consensual sex outside marriage was still treated as a criminal offense with a punishment of five years in prison or a fine of US$165.
Under the Women Protection Bill described rape a man commits rape who has sexual intercourse with a woman:
- against her will.
- without her consent
- with her consent, when the consent has been obtained by putting her in fear of death or of hurt
- with her consent, when the man knows that he is not married to her and that the consent is given because she believes that the man is another person to whom she is or believes herself to be married; or
- with or without her consent when she is under sixteen years of age.
The punishment for rape under 2006 Women Protection Bill is either death or imprisonment of between ten and twenty-five years. For cases related to gang rape, the punishment is either death penalty or life imprisonment.
Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offense of Rape) Act 2016
On 7 October 2016, Pakistan's parliament unanimously passed a new anti-rape and anti-honour killing bills. The new laws introduced harsher punishments for the perpetrators of such crimes. According to the new anti-rape bill, DNA testing was made mandatory in rape cases. Sabotaging or disrupting the work of a police officer or Government official could result in imprisonment of 1 year under the new law. Government officials who are found taking advantage of their official position to commit act of rape (e.g. custodial rape) are liable to imprisonment for life and a fine. According to the new law, anyone who rapes a minor or a mentally or physically disabled person will be liable for the death penalty or life imprisonment.
Recording of statement of the female survivor of rape or sexual harassment shall be done by an Investigating Officer, in the presence of a female police officer, or a female family member of the survivor. Survivors of rape shall be provided legal aid (if needed) by the Provincial Bar Council. The new law also declares that trials for offences such as rape and related crimes shall be conducted in-camera and also allows for the use of technology such as video links to record statements of the victim and witnesses, to spare them the humiliation or risk entailed by court appearances. The media will also be restricted from publishing or publicising the names or any information that would reveal the identity of a victim, except when publishing court judgements. The trial for rape shall conclude within three months. However, if the trial is not completed within three months then the case shall be brought to the notice of the Chief Justice of the High Court for appropriate directions. The new bill also ensures that sex workers are also included in the law's protection.
UN Women Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, hailed the Government of Pakistan's decision to pass the anti-rape and anti-honour killing bills.
Virginity tests
In 2021, Lahore High Court banned the use of virginity tests in cases where women claim they were raped.
Notable cases
Since 2000, various women and young girls have begun to speak out after being sexually assaulted. Going against the tradition that a woman should suffer in silence, they have lobbied news outlets and politicians. A recent report from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan estimated that in 2009, 46 percent of unlawful female killings in Pakistan were "honour killings".
- In 2002, 30-year-old Mukhtaran Bibi (Mukhtār Mā'ī) was gang raped on the orders of the village council as an "honour rape" after allegations that her 12-year-old brother had had sexual relations with a woman from a higher caste. Although custom would expect her to commit suicide after being raped, Mukhtaran spoke up, and pursued the case, which was picked up by both domestic and international media. On 1 September 2002, an anti-terrorism court sentenced 6 men (including the 4 rapists) to death for rape. In 2005, the Lahore High Court cited "insufficient evidence" and acquitted 5 of the 6 convicted, and commuted the punishment for the sixth man to a life sentence. Mukhtaran and the government appealed this decision, and the Supreme Court suspended the acquittal and held appeal hearings. In 2011, the Supreme Court too acquitted the accused. Mukhtār Mā'ī's story was the subject of a Showtime (TV network) documentary called Shame, directed by Mohammed Naqvi, which won awards including a TV Academy Honor (Special Emmy) of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
- A 23-year-old woman in Faisalabad made public accusations against the police, saying her husband had been arrested for creating forged documents; she alleges she was raped on the orders of the chief of police for her actions. The officer was suspended but not arrested.
- Kainat Soomro was a 13-year-old schoolgirl when she was kidnapped and gang raped for four days. Her protest has led to the murder of her brother, a death sentence from the elders of her village, and threats from the rapists, who after four years still remain at large.
- In 2012, three members of the Border Police were remanded into custody for raping five women aged between fifteen and twenty-one. The women claim they were taken from a picnic area to the police station in Dera Ghazi Khan, where the police filmed themselves sexually assaulting the women.
- In January 2014, a village council ordered gang-rape that was carried out in the same Muzaffargarh district where the Mukhtaran Bibi took place in 2002.
- In the 2014 Layyah rape murder incident, on 19 June 2014, a 21-year-old woman was gang raped and murdered in Layyah district, Punjab province of Pakistan.
- In September 2014, three sons of Mian Farooq, a ruling party parliamentarian from Faisalabad, were accused of abducting and gang raping of a teenage girl. The rapists were later released by the court.
- In July 2017, a panchayat ordered rape of a 16-year-old girl in Multan as punishment for her brother's conduct.
- In December 2017, a 25-year-old woman was gang-raped by four dacoits during a robbery at her house in Multan.
- In January 2018, a seven-year-old girl named Zainab Ansari was raped and strangled to death in Kasur. The incident caused nationwide outrage in Pakistan. The same month, a 16-year-old girl was raped and killed in Sargodha, and a day later, in the same city, a 13-year-old boy was intoxicated and sexually assaulted by two men belonging to an influential family. In Faisalabad, the same day, a 15-year-old boy was found dead. The later medical reports confirmed a sexual assault. A few days later, the dead body of a 3-year-old girl, named Asma, was found in Mardan, who had been reportedly missing for 24 hours. Her postmortem report points that she had been raped before her murder. These unfortunate events caused to shape more proactive role and participation in Pakistan's women's rights movements like 'Me Too movement' and Aurat March. UNODC Goodwill Ambassador Shehzad Roy collaborated with Bilawal Bhutto to introduce awareness about education against child sexual abuse in Sindh.
- In September 2020, a resident of Gujranwala was gang raped by two robbers roughly during midnight when her car stalled mid-way due to a fuel shortage, shortly after she had crossed Lahore's toll plaza (outside the limits of Lahore City) on her journey back to Gujranwala, on a secluded segment of M-11 Lahore-Sialkot Motorway. She was accompanied by two of her three children (a toddler and a 4 year old) and perturbed for her own and their safety, she immediately conveyed the trouble to her relatives at Gujranwala and the Motorway Police who, allegedly, informed her that the portion where she was stuck at, was not as of yet "under their jurisdiction" after which she also called the local police and waited for some help. However, one of the rapists, Abid Ali, an inveterate criminal, a murderer, rapist, convict and absconder taking unlawful refuge in an adjacent village (after having seamlessly evaded arrest against his past infringements for over a decade) immediately spotted her car from the roof he was present on, much before any help could arrive. He, accompanied by his gangmate, (reportedly, after one other had turned down the idea of involvement at that moment in time due to unknown reasons) hastily approached the car and broke open the windows of the locked car and forcibly took the startled and terrified woman and her children down the side embankment slope of the main carriageway, into a sequestered region besides forest area. Both of them raped the woman while the children, in a state of shock, threatened and beaten and too young to comprehend or react, were present nearby throughout the entire ordeal. They then robbed the woman of her belongings and threatened to kill her but did not inflict further injury and eventually eloped in the abyss. Intensive man-hunt operations were launched by law enforcement agencies after several nationwide demonstrations eventuated demanding the immediate arrest of perpetrators, By November 2020, both of the perpetrators had been arrested and are currently undergoing trials in terrorism courts. A lead police official commented that she should not have travelled alone such late night and should've checked her fuel levels before embarking on her journey. These comments were perceived as sexist and apologetic of rape, leading to an outcry over Victim blaming. Just a few days earlier, a 5-year-old girl was raped in Karachi, hit on the head and set on fire.
- 8 February 2021 : a boy was found dead after being sexually assaulted in Chowk Steel Bagh area after remaining missing for five days. According to the police report, the 15-year-old son of Mustafa went missing after going to a poultry farm in Raukhanwala area for work. The relatives of the boy chanted slogans and protested against the police and demanded that the charge of sexual abuse be included in the case against the suspects and that justice be served.
- 11 October 2024: A 17-year-old student at the Punjab College Lahore was allegedly raped by the security guard of the institute.
Types
The group War Against Rape (WAR) has documented the severity of the rape problem in Pakistan and of police indifference to it. WAR is an NGO whose mission is to publicize the problem of rape in Pakistan; in a report released in 1992, of 60 reported cases of rape, 20% involved police officers. In 2008 the group claimed that several of its members were assaulted by a religious group as they tried to help a woman who had been gang raped identify her assailants.
According to a study carried out by Human Rights Watch there is a rape once every two hours, a gang rape every hour and 70-90 percent women are suffering with some kind of domestic violence.
According to Women's Studies professor Shahla Haeri, rape in Pakistan is "often institutionalized and has the tacit and at times the explicit approval of the state". According to a study by Human Rights Watch, there is a rape once every two hours and a gang rape every eight. Asma Jahangir, a lawyer and co-founder of the women's rights group Women's Action Forum, reported in a 1988 study of female detainees in Punjab that around 72 percent of them stated they had been sexually abused while in custody.
Rape by family members
According to WAR, over 82% of rapists are family members including fathers, brothers, grandfathers and uncles of the victims. The crimes come to light when the girls get pregnant and go to gynecologists for abortion. The mothers do not go to the police either. According to NGO Sustainable Social Development Organization, reported rapes and sexual assaults soared as much as 400% quarter on quarter during the COVID-19 lockdown, due to Covid restrictions forcing children to remain indoors thus allowing relatives to more frequently abuse them.
Marital rape
In Pakistan, approximately 20-30% of women face some form of domestic abuse during their lifetime. Marital rape is a common form of spousal abuse as it is not considered to be a crime under the Zina laws. Many men and women in Pakistan are raised with the beliefs that "sex is a man's right in marriage". Women are instilled with the concept that their purpose in society is to fulfill a man's desires as well as to bear children. The topic of sex is a taboo subject in Pakistan, therefore women often refrain from reporting their experiences with rape. Marital abuse in general is considered to be a family and private matter in Pakistan which is another reason of why women refrain from reporting in fear of social judgement. Non consensual marital sex can lead to issues with reproductive health, unsafe sex, as well as unwanted pregnancies. Studies show that marital rape continues throughout the course of pregnancies, as well as can lead to the birth of numerous babies. Studies show that marital rape commonly occurs in Pakistan because of the husband's desire to have more children and in particular, to have sons. Even in cases of non-consensual pregnancy resulting from rape, the reward in increased status could be great enough that women choose to keep the baby, but women who have already borne sons often seek abortions and in some cases sterilization to avoid the unintended pregnancies that result from rapes. Women have had the procedure done without their husbands permission. Men sometimes get a vasectomy but it is far more common for women to become sterilized. Sometimes after the operation the husband's demands for sex increase.
Marital rape is treated the same as any other rape in Pakistani law punishable with death by hanging or up to 25 years in prison. However, only one case of marital rape has been reported in Pakistan despite it being a common problem.
Firstly, the role of cultural pressures and expectations from a woman in marriage, with wife's own mother encouraging the husband to try and consummate the marriage against wife's will. Secondly, justice is only available to educated and resourceful Pakistani women with considerable social status, with access to female police, and access to a female judge willing to hold an in-camera trial after hours. Finally, a combination of corporal punishment and fine is an appropriate sentence rather than a long jail sentence, as a wife may be financially dependent on the husband, and the husband may learn his lesson, in particular, if the act was committed under societal pressure to consummate the marriage.
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is widespread in Pakistani schools. In a study of child sexual abuse in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, out of a sample of 300 children 17% claimed to have been abused and in 1997 one child a day was reported as raped, gang raped or kidnapped for sexual gratification. In September 2014, the British Channel 4 broadcast a documentary called Pakistan's Hidden Shame, directed by Mohammed Naqvi and produced by Jamie Doran, which highlighted the problem of sexual abuse of street children in particular, an estimated 90 percent of whom have been sexually abused.
The practice of Bacha bazi, a custom involving sexual abuse of adolescent males or boys by older men is reported to be common in the areas of North western Pakistan. While Pakistan has laws for the protection of children and banning of homosexuality, these are rarely enforced and bacha bazi is justified as a cultural tradition.
The NGO Sahil reported 3,832 cases of child abuse in 2018 which is an 11 per cent increase from 2017 (3,445 cases). Most of these cases are reported in Punjab province and the fewest cases were reported in Gilgit Baltistan province. About 72 percent of the cases are reported in rural areas and 28 percent in urban areas.
Kasur scandal
Main article: Kasur child sexual abuse scandalThe Kasur child sexual abuse scandal is a series of child sexual abuses that occurred in Hussain Khanwala village in Kasur District, Punjab, Pakistan from 2006 to 2014, culminating in a major political scandal in 2015. After the discovery of hundreds of video clips showing children performing forced sex acts, various Pakistani media organizations estimated that 280 to 300 children, most of them male, were victims of sexual abuse. The scandal involved an organized crime ring that sold child pornography to porn sites, and blackmailed and extorted relatives of the victims.
Revenge rape
In 2002, when a 12-year-old boy was accused of affair with a woman, the jirga (council of local elders) ordered his elder sister Mukhtar Mai (28 year) to be gangraped as a revenge. In 2017 a boy raped a 12-year-old girl and the jirga ordered his sister to be raped as revenge. But the police arrested them.
Rape of minorities
See also: Forced conversion of minority girls in PakistanThe rape and assault of Christian, Hindu women are reported in Pakistan. Inaction, refusal to file complaints, intimidation and corruption amongst the police and judiciary are also frequent problems.
Attitudes
Rape in Pakistan came to international attention after Mukhtaran Bibi charged her attackers with rape and spoke out about her experiences. She was then denied the right to leave the country. The matter of her refused visit to the US was raised in an interview by the Washington Post with the then President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, who claimed to champion "Moderate Islam" that "respect the rights of women", and complained that his country is "unfairly portrayed as a place where rape and other violence against women are rampant and frequently condoned". He said that he had relented over allowing her to leave the country, and remarked that being raped had "become a money-making concern", a way to get rich abroad. This statement provoked an uproar, and Musharraf later denied having made it.
The statement was made in the light of the fact that another rape victim, Dr Shazia Khalid, had left Pakistan, was living in Canada, and had spoken out against official attitudes to rape in Pakistan. Musharraf said of her: "It is the easiest way of doing it. Every second person now wants to come up and get all the because there is so much of finances. Dr. Shazia, I don't know. But maybe she's a case of money (too), that she wants to make money. She is again talking all against Pakistan, against whatever we've done. But I know what the realities are."
DNA test and other scientific evidence are used in prosecuting rape cases in Pakistan.
See also
- Acid throwing
- Child marriage
- Dowry death
- Domestic violence
- Domestic violence in Pakistan
- Feudalism in Pakistan
- Honor killing
- Honour killing in Pakistan
- Hudood Ordinances
- Human trafficking in Pakistan
- Rape investigation
- Violence against women in Pakistan
- Women in Pakistan
- Women related laws in Pakistan
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