257 women subjected to murder, rape, kidnapping and karo-kari in Pakistan's Sindh in past 3 months: Reports

The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection Act) 2013, Sindh Commission on the Status of Women Act 2015, Anti-Sexual Harassment Law (Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010), Amendment in Criminal Procedure Code (and PPC) (Third Amendment) Act 2011, Anti-Women Practices (Criminal Law Amendment) Act, 2008 and The Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013, reports Pakistan Daily Times.

Out of these 257 cases, 70 women were subjected to physical assault, 46 were raped, 29 were kidnapped, 38 women faced domestic violence, 29 were kidnapped, 41 were killed and four women lost their lives in Karo-kari across Sindh during last three months, the newspaper reported.

Despite the decision by Sindh High Court that if the killing of women in the name of honour occurred in any part of the province, responsibility will be on the police officials of that area, still incidents are being reported.

As many as 123 people, mostly women, were killed during the last six months in the name of honour killing or ‘Karo Kari’ in interior parts of the province, revealed a study conducted by a women rights organization, Sindh Suhai Sath (SSS).

In Sindh, as many as 49 women faced physical assaulted and 19 women were raped in the month of July 2022, revealed the data compiled by the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) and the Centre for Research, Development and Communication (CRDC) through cases reported in the mainstream media.

As per details, the Sindh government had to set up women protection cells in 15 districts of Sindh but no cell was established so far anywhere except Karachi.

Daily Times learnt that the government was also supposed to appoint a woman protection officer, a psychologist and a legal expert at women protection cells in every district but still no steps were taken in that regard.