‘90pc of women’s abuse cases not reported’
Karachi: Ninety per cent cases of violence against women in Pakistan are not reported by the media, Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA) President Zia Ahmed Awan advocate said. “As many as 67,706 cases of women abuse were reported in the country during the last nine years,” he said. Very few of them, however, made it to reports in the mainstream media.
Awan was speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday at the Madadgaar office. He said that 8,445 women were victimised in Pakistan in 2008 alone. Altogether, 13,613 cases of abuse of women were reported in Karachi between 2000 and 2008. Amongst them, 697 were murder cases, 174 rape-and-murder cases, 249 gang-rape cases, 165 rape cases, 10,041 torture cases, 85 karo-kari cases, 674 burn cases, 310 kidnapping for ransom cases, 310 suicide cases, 102 ‘hudood and zina’ cases, 241 women trafficking cases, 374 police torture cases, 50 cases of ‘vani swara’ and under the jirga and punchiat system and 210 cases of forced marriages.
“There is no political will to eliminate violence against women,” Awan said. “Violence against women is increasing but it is not yet clear whether violence as such is on the rise or more reporting is done due to an alert media. We are inviting academics to sort it out.”
He said that 2,472 cases of abuse of women were reported in Balochistan during the last nine years, 5,772 cases in the NWFP, 42,093 cases in Punjab and 17,369 cases in Sindh. The Punjab was on the top in women abuse cases followed Sindh, he said. Sixty one per cent cases were reported from Punjab alone, he said.
“The perpetrators included ‘amils,’ husbands and neighbours,” Awan said. “We need a surgery of the police and administration because they have totally failed to deliver.
Source: The News
Date:2/5/2009
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