KP sees 258 reported rape cases in 2024, with only one conviction: rights council

PESHAWAR: The Human Rights Council of Pakistan, a non-governmental organization, has released its 2025 human rights report, revealing that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) recorded 258 rape cases last year, but only one resulted in a conviction. This reflects a conviction rate of approximately 0.39 percent.

The report was launched at the Peshawar Press Club on Saturday, coinciding with International Women’s Day, observed on March 8. Speaking at the event, Izharuddin Khan, the council’s provincial president, highlighted the prevalence of violence against women in the province. He stated, “around five per cent of women in the province faced violence on a daily basis.”

Mr. Khan further noted that only about 30 percent of gender-based violence cases are reported, while nearly 70 percent remain unreported. He emphasized the issue of harassment in educational institutions, saying that incidents had been reported in universities across KP and that female students were not safe from gender-based harassment.

The report also pointed to a significant number of cybercrime complaints, stating that around 160,000 such complaints had been recorded in 2025. The University of Peshawar and University of Malakand were specifically mentioned in the context of harassment cases.

The findings underscore ongoing challenges in addressing gender-based violence and ensuring justice for survivors in the province. The low conviction rate and high number of unreported cases highlight the need for further efforts to improve reporting mechanisms and legal processes.