Rape, gang rape cases increasing in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - The incidents of sexual harassment against women, particularly rape and gang rape incidents have increased at an alarmingly rate of over 13 percent across Punjab and the Gujranwala regions in Pakistan.

The Nation quoted statistics report as saying that about 110 women out of total 271 and 358 out of 2,427 women became victims of gang rape and rape in the Lahore region with an increase by 12.5 and 13.5 percent during the first 11 months of current year as compared to the corresponding period of 2009.

About 271 incidents of gang rape took place in 35 districts of the Punjab in 2010 with the difference of 13 percent as compared to 2009 in which only 136 such incidents had occurred.

The DG Khan region comprising of the districts of Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh and Layyah, remained at the lowest level as only two incidents of gang rape took place in Layyah during this span of time, the paper said.

Forty-nine gang rape cases were registered in Lahore, 30 in Sheikhupura, 25 in Kasur, 16 in Gujranwala, 11 each in Rawalpindi and Faisalabad, it added.

he provincial police however have reportedly arrested only 385 rapists out of 643 while 48 cases of gang rape are still under investigation. About 125 challans were sent in the courts and the Punjab police cancelled 47 cases besides furnishing different pleas.

About 2,427 women/girls became victims of during the 11 months of 2010 with 12.5 percent increase as compared to the same era of the last year in which above 2,184 women were raped, with the Bahawalpur region the most susceptible as many as 496 incidents occurred there. (ANI)