December 12, 2025
By Xari Jalil
LAHORE
A new investigative report mapping online abuse across Pakistan has revealed an alarming escalation in digital violence targeting women—particularly journalists, activists, social media influencers, and members of religious and ethnic minorities. Conducted by Bytes for All (B4A) and HIVE, the report warns that gendered hate speech, non-consensual content leaks, sectarian harassment, and blasphemy-linked digital campaigns are pushing women out of online spaces and enabling violent extremism in the real world.
A digital landscape hostile to women
Between November 2024 and January 2025, B4A used the social-media-listening tool Mentionlytics to track conversations containing gendered hate speech across X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. The monitoring captured 15,177 conversations, reaching over 106 million users and generating 11 million reactions. From these, 171 core cases of digital violence were identified and categorised.
The trends point toward a systemic and coordinated targeting of women who participate in public discourse. The largest category—50 cases—involved harassment campaigns against outspoken women in journalism, activism, and rights advocacy. Another 45 cases involved strategic smear campaigns, often coordinated to destroy women’s credibility, especially those who rely on digital platforms for work.
Equally disturbing is the prevalence of non-consensual intimate imagery, with 35 cases documented—often accompanied by extortion, character shaming, and organized distribution of leaked content. The report also recorded sexually explicit slurs (10 cases), cyberstalking and physical threats (9), identity theft (9), image morphing (8), and cases of sextortion and deepfakes.
The analysis shows that digital violence is “not random but structured,” often intersecting with patriarchal norms, sectarian bigotry, and extremist narratives that weaponize religion and hate to silence women.
Sindhi activist targeted after challenging extremism
One of the most striking case studies in the study documents the online harassment campaign against Sindhoo Nawaz Ghanghro, a Sindhi activist who spoke out after the murder of Dr. Shahnawaz Kumbhar in September 2024—a killing later revealed to be the result of a staged encounter influenced by religious pressure.
After Ghanghro publicly demanded accountability, extremist groups associated with Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) launched a wave of misogynistic and ethnic abuse against her. She was labeled a “traitor,” a foreign agent, and subjected to derogatory slurs attacking her gender, character, and family.
Digital attacks also intensified after a peaceful civil society march in Karachi on October 13, when police resorted to baton-charging activists. The report states that social media was then flooded with fabricated claims, morphed videos, and accusations meant to incite real-world violence by portraying Ghanghro as “anti-Islam.”
The report concludes that her case illustrates how extremist factions weaponize digital spaces to silence progressive, feminist, and pro-peace voices—often with ethnic and religious undertones.
Shia women targeted with sexualized sectarian hate
Another disturbing trend highlighted in the report is the systematic online abuse of Shia women, particularly on Facebook pages where images of Shia women are routinely posted with sexually explicit sectarian slurs.
The report reproduces examples of hate speech so violent and graphic that they amount to dehumanization—linking Shia faith practices to sexual promiscuity and moral corruption. Many posts include fabricated stories, edited images, and impersonation profiles designed to shame, intimidate, or provoke mob hatred.
Researchers note that these attacks are not tied to any specific incident but arise from deep-rooted sectarian prejudice amplified through digital platforms. The spread of such content, the report warns, feeds extremist ideologies and strengthens the conditions for offline violence against minority communities.
Leaked videos force TikToker offline
In one of the most widely amplified incidents, emerging TikTok creator Imsha Rehman, a university student from Gilgit, became a victim of non-consensual video leakage when explicit recordings were allegedly shared by a former boyfriend. Within hours, the videos spread across WhatsApp groups, TikTok, X, and Facebook.
Rather than condemn the leak, thousands of users blamed Rehman, using slurs such as “slut,” “call girl,” and “whore”. Opportunists created fake accounts to monetize the leaked content, while others invited people to buy access through private channels.
Facing overwhelming abuse, Rehman deleted all her social media accounts—losing not just her digital presence but her future as an influencer. The report notes that her family experienced extreme psychological distress, and dozens of similar cases—such as those targeting Kanwal Aftab and Manahel Malik—reveal a pattern of punishing women for digital visibility.
Blasphemy allegations used to silence Baloch activist
Perhaps the most dangerous form of digital violence is documented in the case of Dr. Sabiha Baloch, a leader in the Baloch Yakjehti Committee. The report reveals that distorted excerpts from a speech she delivered in Nushki in August 2024 were circulated online to incite religious mobs against her.
Blasphemy accusations—particularly in a climate where mobs have lynched suspects in Khushab, Nankana Sahib, and Madyan—put Dr. Baloch in immediate physical danger. The digital smear campaign intensified after a policeman in Quetta killed a detainee accused of blasphemy, further heightening tensions.
Dr. Baloch, who has previously faced arrest, military intimidation, and violence against her family, continues to advocate for the rights of missing persons. But the report warns that weaponizing blasphemy allegations online is becoming a routine method to silence ethnic minority women.
Legislation exists—but enforcement remains weak
Pakistan’s cybercrime law, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, includes provisions criminalizing cyberstalking, hate speech, and non-consensual distribution of intimate images. However, the report highlights lack of implementation, capacity constraints, and misuse—often for political purposes.
The authors argue that without stronger enforcement, specialized monitoring units, and judicial training, women will remain vulnerable to orchestrated hate campaigns.
Recommendations: A national crisis requiring multi-sector action
The report calls for urgent reforms across government institutions, judiciary, tech platforms, civil society, and religious leadership. Key recommendations include:
Enforcing PECA Sections 20, 21 and 24 without discrimination.
Dedicated task forces to monitor digital harassment.
Preventing misuse of blasphemy laws to target activists.
Partnerships with social media companies for improved moderation in Urdu, Sindhi, Balochi and other regional languages.
Fast-track courts for digital violence cases.
Digital security training for women and girls.
Counter-extremism messaging led by religious and community leaders.
A shrinking digital space for women
The report concludes that digital violence against women in Pakistan is neither isolated nor spontaneous; it is a structural reflection of misogyny, sectarianism, and political intolerance. When combined with extremist narratives, these online attacks fuel real-world violence and push women out of civic and political life.
The report warns that digital spaces have become battlefields, where women—especially those from marginalized ethnic and religious communities—are punished simply for speaking.