Islamabad, Jan 22 (IANS) Pakistan Supreme Court's verdict upholding the conviction of Khursheed Ahmad for the killing of his wife, Gulshan Bibi, is searing indictment of how domestic violence is normalised and enabled in the country. In the verdict, the bench stated that the societal norms force women back into the homes that are no less than a "living hell," a report has stated.

Gulshan Bibi had left her husband after she was repeatedly beaten. However, her family members convinced her to reconcile. The decision, rooted in social pressure, stigma and misplaced notions of family honour, resulted in Gulshan Bibi losing her life, Pakistan's leading daily Dawn reported. This pattern is not seen only in one household.

According to the leading daily, families often act as enforcers of abuse as they choose marital continuity over safety of women. In several cases, law enforcement also considers domestic violence as a private matter.

Pakistan needs urgent policy lessons, implementation of domestic violence laws, training of police to recognise patterns of abuse and trial courts should take history of violence seriously, the Dawn mentioned. Furthermore, women must have other options instead of returning to abusive homes through shelters, legal support and financial assistance so that reconciliation is voluntary and not forced.

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

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 in comparison to 5,253 cases in 2024, showcasing a rise of nearly 25 per cent over one year, Pakistan's another leading daily The Express Tribune had 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. The report revealed that the perpetrators were known to the survivors in 32 per cent of the rape cases while 17 per cent involved strangers. Husbands were implicated in 12 per cent of the cases.

Husbands were involved in 12 per cent of the cases while the identity of the perpetrators was not reported in 21 per cent of the cases. According to the report, most of gender-based violence took place in victims' homes, accounting for 60 per cent of the recorded cases while 13 per cent took pace at the perpetrators home.

--IANS

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