These special courts would focus only on addressing the issues related to violence against women in Pakistan. In 2019, Government of Pakistan established more than 1,000 special courts across the country. Rampant corruption in the lower judiciary and political influence can also help the rapist escape punishment. Ĭritics say that the conviction rate in the country is low as rape cases in Pakistan take years to prosecute. In Pakistan, at least 11 cases of rape are reported everyday, with over 22,000 reports filed 2015–2020 however, at the end of that period in 2020, only 4,000 of those cases had moved to court. According to WAR, over 82% of rapists are family members including fathers, brothers, grandfathers and uncles of the victims. According to late lawyer Asma Jahangir, who was a co-founder of the women's rights group Women's Action Forum, up to 72% of women in custody in Pakistan are physically or sexually abused. According to Women's Studies professor Shahla Haeri, rape in Pakistan is "often institutionalized and has the tacit and at times the explicit approval of the state". The group War Against Rape (WAR) has documented the severity of rape in Pakistan, and the police indifference to it. Rape in Pakistan came to international attention after the politically sanctioned rape of Mukhtaran Bibi. DNA test and other scientific evidence are used in prosecuting rape cases in Pakistan. For cases related to gang rape, the punishment is either death penalty or life imprisonment. Punishment for rape in Pakistan under the Pakistani laws is either death penalty or imprisonment of between ten and twenty-five years. Overview of rape and other sexual violence in Pakistan