December 12, 2025
By Iqra Manzoor
Lahore
Two female teachers were shot dead by unidentified assailants in Charsadda on Monday. According to police, the attack occurred near Parang graveyard as the women were on their way to duty at Government High School Shah Pasand Kali. The victims, identified as Sadarat and Nida Shamsher, who belonged to the same family. Nida Shamsher sustained critical bullet injuries and died while being rushed to the hospital. Authorities have shifted both bodies for medico-legal procedures, and an investigation into the targeted attack is currently underway.
Injured teacher named as complainant in FIR
An FIR has now been registered under sections 302, 324, and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The complainant named in the FIR is Nida Shamsher, one of the three women targeted in the attack. Nida was injured during the firing and later succumbed to her injuries. In her statement, she recounted:
“Sadarat and I are teachers at Government High School Shah Pasand Kali and we were on our way to the school when two unknown armed men (with pistols) came on a bike and started firing at us. Consequently, Sadarat died on the spot because of the firing and I was left injured. I do not know the purpose of the firing.”
Her statement remains the only recorded eyewitness account in the case so far.
Family background and early investigation
Khawaja Muhammad, the investigation officer (IO) of the case, told Voicepk that the shooting took place at 8:10 AM and confirmed that the victims were cousins. He added that one of the deceased, Sadarat, had recently obtained khula from her husband, Farooq, who is imprisoned in Adiala Jail in a narcotics case. The second victim, Nida Shamsher, was married to a man named Muhammad Azam, a butcher by profession, and she was his second wife. “The investigation is underway and we are reviewing CCTV footage to identify who carried out the attack and why,” the IO said.
When asked whether the killings could be linked to honour-related motives, he noted that it was too early to determine any such connection and that an official stance would only be issued after meeting the family and advancing the investigation.
A broader pattern of violence against women in KP
The violence in Charsadda unfolds against a troubling backdrop of gender-based violence across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Data from January to June 2025—representing only cases formally reported to the police—shows persistent and widespread abuse. The factsheet, compiled by the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) using information obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) law, reveals that an average of five women faced violence every day in Charsadda during the six-month period.
Reported cases from the district included incidents of domestic violence, honour killings, and kidnapping or abduction, reflecting the severity of the situation.
Zero convictions despite hundreds of cases
Across KP, a total of 916 cases of violence against women were registered during the same period, including honour killings, rape, kidnapping or abduction, domestic violence, and violations under the Ghag Act. Out of these, 801 cases were challaned, 86 remain under investigation, and 770 are currently under trial.
Despite the volume and gravity of these crimes, not a single case has resulted in a conviction, illustrating the deep-rooted patriarchal structures that continue to endanger women’s lives and hinder accountability.
Nationally, the pattern is similarly distressing, with an average of 114 cases of violence against women reported every day across Pakistan’s five provinces during the same six months, while the overall conviction rate stands at just 0.3%.