QUETTA: The Aurat Foundation Balochistan has published its annual report detailing the situation of violence against women in the province from January to December 2025, revealing a marked increase in severe incidents of gender-based violence over the past year.
According to the compiled data, 123 cases of violence against women were reported, encompassing murder, honour killings, abduction, harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, and suicide.
These figures not only highlight the growing trend of gender-based violence but also underscore that many incidents go unreported, making the overall situation even more alarming.
In 2025, a total of 65 women and 25 men were murdered in Balochistan, with 33 women and all 25 men killed in the name of honour.
The report notes that two women took their own lives due to unbearable domestic circumstances, while five faced harassment, nine endured domestic violence, six were victims of sexual assault, and 11 were abducted.
These crimes occurred across various districts, clearly indicating escalating threats to women throughout the province.
The Women and Juvenile Facilitation Center (WJFC) received 129 complaints during the year, including 35 cases of harassment, 37 of domestic violence, four missing persons reports, four threats, 14 blackmail incidents, one digital violence case, and eight financial frauds against women. Police provided counseling, initial medical aid, and support to victims, with several cases reported from other districts as well.
The report expresses particular concern over honour killings, recording 58 such incidents across Balochistan in 2025, with Jaffarabad topping the list at 10 female victims.
Sibi and Lasbela each reported four, while Noshki, Kharan, Mastung, and Loralai had two each, and Chagai one.
These statistics show that honour killings have become a persistent and grave social issue in multiple areas of the province.
The report also includes district-wise data on murders and honour killings of women over the past six years (2019–2025), with Quetta leading at 103 cases, followed by Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Lasbela, Sibi, Panjgur, and Khuzdar.
The intensity of such crimes has remained consistently high in Quetta, Naseerabad, and Jaffarabad, calling for stringent legal, social, and institutional measures to curb them.
The Aurat Foundation clarified that variations in reported numbers do not necessarily reflect actual levels of violence in any area, as they depend on victims’ access to reporting mechanisms, social pressures, and fear.
The true number of unreported cases is likely far higher.
The report urges the Balochistan government and relevant authorities to treat cases of violence against women and honour killings with utmost seriousness, provide specialized training to police, judiciary, and lawyers, ensure timely registration and transparent investigations, and strictly enforce existing laws.
Without practical implementation, crimes such as oppression, forced marriages, acid attacks, sexual violence, abduction, and honour killings will continue unabated.
It further emphasizes that certain societal customs and traditions contradict Islamic principles and constitute severe violations of women’s fundamental rights.
To protect and empower women, they must be granted education, economic opportunities, representation in decision-making, and equal social rights.
The Aurat Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to continuing its struggle for the protection, justice, and empowerment of women in Balochistan.
