July 23, 2026
By Xari Jalil
ISLAMABAD
A stark new report released on July 23, 2026, by human rights organization Sahil exposes a harrowing tide of gender-based violence (GBV) across Pakistan, recording 3,172 incidents in the first six months of 2026 alone.
Compiled from national and regional media monitoring across all four provinces, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit Baltistan (GB), the report—edited by Manizeh Bano and compiled by Agha Zamin and Sajjad Haider—presents a grim quantitative assessment of the dangers facing women and gender-diverse individuals.
Murder and torture top fatal spectrum of crimes
The data highlights murder as the single largest category of gender-based crime in the country, accounting for 644 cases. Severe physical assault and torture closely followed, with 514 cases.
Other recorded crimes span multiple intersecting forms of violence, including:
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Harassment: 129 cases
Abduction + Rape: 100 cases
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Gang Rape: 79 cases
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Attempted Rape: 67 cases
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Pornography / Image-Based Violence: 6 cases (plus additional combined categories like Rape + Pornography [43 cases] and Gang Rape + Pornography [8 cases])
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Acid Attacks: 14 cases
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Forced Marriage: 3 cases
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Forced Conversion: 1 case
Young adults most targeted
While age was omitted or unmentioned in 71% of newspaper reports, the demographic breakdown of known cases demonstrates that young women bear a disproportionate burden of abuse:
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21–30 years: 334 cases
11–20 years: 306 cases
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31–40 years: 120 cases
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0–10 years: 63 cases
Acquaintances responsible for most cases
Overturning common misconceptions regarding public safety, Sahil’s analysis indicates that home remains the most dangerous location for victims. 54% of all crimes occurred at the victim’s own residence (1,725 cases), while 12% took place at the abuser’s residence (380 cases). Locations such as streets (50), roads (63), canals (32), and workplaces (1) accounted for a far smaller proportion of overall incidents.
Where Gender-Based Violence Occurs:
[████████████████████████████] 54% Victim's Own Home
[█████████████] 25% Unspecified Location
[███████] 12% Abuser's Home
[█████] 9% Public / Other Locations (Roads, Fields, Streets, etc.)
Furthermore, the data shows that perpetrators are overwhelmingly known to the victims:
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Acquaintances: 27% (844 cases)
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Strangers: 24% (763 cases)
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Spouses (Husbands): 13% (405 cases)
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In-Laws & Relatives: Combined hundreds of cases, including brothers (67), fathers (50), uncles (22), and ex-husbands (19).
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Unidentified / Unmentioned: 20% (632 cases)
Punjab has highest number of cases
Geographically, Punjab reported the overwhelming majority of documented violence against women and transgender persons, recording 2,352 cases (74%).
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Sindh: 554 cases (17%)
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK): 180 cases (6%)
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Balochistan: 48 cases (3% combined with ICT, AJK, & GB)
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Federal Capital (Islamabad): 30 cases
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Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK): 5 cases
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Gilgit Baltistan (GB): 3 cases
Out of 104 districts monitored across the country, Faisalabad topped the list of most vulnerable districts with 532 reported cases, followed by Multan (256), Lahore (237), Gujranwala (226), and Kasur (143).
Systemic challenges
On police responsiveness, the report reveals that 76% of recorded incidents (2,425 cases) were registered with police authorities. However, 23% (726 cases) lacked clear registration details in published press reports, while 1% (21 cases) explicitly remained unregistered.
Sahil—which has monitored child protection and gender-based violence in Pakistan since 1996—emphasized that while official registrations reflect a degree of formal reporting, systemic challenges, social stigma, and news media gaps mean total incidents remain significantly higher than published figures. The organization called for stronger institutional safeguards, swift police action, and dedicated judicial mechanisms to combat the escalating violence.