Islamabad, Jan 24 (IANS) The recent gang rape of a minor girl by policemen in custody in Jacobabad district of Pakistan’s Sindh province reflects a grave procedural failure that warrants serious institutional accountability. The subsequent arrest of six policemen is being touted as evidence that the system works, but accountability limited to junior officers is not true justice, a report highlighted on Saturday.

“Female detainees — including minors — were allegedly kept in a private location with male police officers. This alone constitutes illegal detention. The question of sexual assault, horrific as it is, comes after the state had already abdicated its legal duty. Custody is meant to restrain police power, not expand it. Equally alarming is the alleged use of detention as leverage. Holding women and children to pressure male relatives in a separate criminal case is a form of coercion that has no place in any lawful system,” a report in leading Pakistani daily, The Express Tribune, highlighted.

“Such practices persist not because they are legal, but because they rarely attract consequences. In many parts of the country, approaching the police for justice — especially in cases involving police officers themselves — is an act of extraordinary risk. Without independent complaint mechanisms and witness protection, legal remedies remain largely theoretical,” it added.

According to the report, the absence of lady police and functional women’s protection cells constitutes administrative negligence, as safeguards designed to prevent custodial abuse across Pakistan remain unimplemented.

“This case should force a shift in focus from individual guilt to institutional responsibility. Who authorised the detention? Who supervised it? Who failed to intervene? And who is now deciding how far accountability will go? Pakistan’s police reform debate often revolves around resources and training. But no amount of funding can compensate for a lack of consequences. What is needed is mandatory custodial audits and zero tolerance for procedural violations — especially where women and minors are involved,” it mentioned.

In December last year, Sahil, an Islamabad-based organisation monitoring gender-based violence, reported a big rise in crimes against women during the first 11 months of 2025 in Pakistan.

The report collected data published in 81 national newspapers from all four provinces, Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB). According to the report, 6,543 incidents were reported in Pakistan in 2025, compared to 5,253 cases in 2024, showcasing a rise of nearly 25 per cent over one year, The Express Tribune reported.

The incidents reported from January-November 2025 include 1,414 cases of murder, 1,144 of abduction, 1,060 of physical assault, 649 suicide cases, and 585 cases of rape.

–IANS

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