What happened
According to Dawn, Supreme Court Justice Ayesha Malik spoke at an event in Islamabad marking the launch of a bench book designed for judges presiding over gender-based violence (GBV) courts. Delivering the keynote address, Justice Malik rejected victim-blaming notions that claim women are responsible for inviting rape, urging a fundamental reassessment of societal views toward women. She also expressed concern that sexual violence has turned into such a routine occurrence that it fails to generate necessary public outrage.
The event was hosted collaboratively by the Ministry of Human Rights, the Legal Aid Society, and the United Nations Population Fund. It introduced both the bench book and a national research study examining the factors behind low conviction rates in GBV cases.
Key facts
- Bench Book Details: Presented by Advocate Maliha Zia of the Legal Aid Society, the 10-chapter guide aligns with trial proceedings to assist judges in evaluating evidence and reaching fair decisions based on law.
- Conviction Study: Rabeea Hadi from the Ministry of Human Rights' Child Protection Institute presented the study, which was developed alongside the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights to identify legal and procedural failures from initial reporting to trial.
- Speaker Highlights: Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq noted that the book translates parliamentary enactments and higher court rulings into practical tools for trial judges. Legal Aid Society CEO Barrister Haya Emaan Zahid discussed survivor pressures, while UNFPA Representative Dr. Luay Shabaneh and British High Commission Senior Governance Adviser Mary Kate Thomson highlighted human rights commitments and public trust.
- Reported Statistics: Dawn cited findings from Sahil's report showing 3,172 reported GBV cases in Pakistan during the first half of 2026. This included 644 murders, 514 cases of torture, 462 abductions, 363 suicides, 280 rapes, 175 injuries, 132 honor killings, 18 cases involving transgender individuals, and 21 other crimes.
Why it matters
As reported by Dawn, Human Rights Ministry Secretary Abdul Khalique Shaikh acknowledged that written legal protections have not yet aligned with real-world practice. The initiative aims to unite government officials, legal professionals, prosecutors, and development partners to ensure legal safeguards are consistently delivered across the judicial system.
Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 27, 2026 · Photo by Abdul Raheem Kannath on Unsplash
