Islamabad - Sexual abuse and violence against women continue unabated in the federal capital as the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police registered 156 cases ranging from the crime of rape to selling and buying women for the purposes of prostitution in the year 2014.
The statistics pertaining to internal human trafficking for the purpose of prostitution in the federal capital obtained by The Nation suggest that women are still a selling commodity even in this age and subjected to unnatural lust, despite tall claims of better policing and stringent punishment for rape and sexual harassment of women.
Most of the cases recorded during the last year constitute crime of kidnapping, abducting or inducing women to compel for marriage. Similarly, selling and buying women for purposes of prostitution; kidnapping or abducting a person under the age of 14 for the lust of a person; kidnapping or abducting in order to subject some person to unnatural lust and enticing or taking away or detaining with criminal intent a woman remained the most common of violent crimes against women during the year 2014 in the federal capital.
The figures suggest that the ICT police have literally failed to make women feel safe in the capital city, as one woman was subjected to sexual violence on an average every 48 hours in the city though many of the crimes against women went unrecorded. The data also unveiled a disturbing fact that in five cases the victims were aged below 14. According to the sources in the local police, in majority of the cases the offenders were familiar to the victims.
The rate of reporting, prosecuting and convicting for rape is none better than zero as only 19 persons were convicted for the crime in the year 2014. The report also noted that out of 156, 96 cases were challaned in 2014 and the number of acquittals stood at 16 while the convictions remained around 15.
It is now the Federal Investigation Agency that has taken notice of the situation and called for a strict action against the culprits, the sources in the FIA said.
According to the statistics, 91 cases were registered under Section 365-B of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) in 2014.
Thirty-three cases were challaned, 19 were convicted and 4 accused were acquitted. Section 365-B of PPC deals with kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel for marriage etc.
The ICT police registered 5 cases under Section 364-A of PPC which deals with kidnapping or abducting a person under the 14. Two cases were challaned and two accused were acquitted.
The section states: “Whoever kidnaps or abducts any person under the 141[age of fourteen] 141 in order that such person may be murdered or subjected to grievous hurt, or slavery, or to the lust of any person or may be so disposed of as to be put in danger of being murdered or subjected to grievous hurt, or slavery, or to the lust of any person shall be punished with death or with imprisonment for life or with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to fourteen years and shall not be less than seven years.”
The section 367-A of PPC deals with kidnapping or abducting in order to subject person to unnatural lust. In the year 2014, one case was registered and none of them was sent to the court for trial.
The ICT police registered 34 cases under section 371-A and 371-B of the PPC. Out of which 23 were challaned and none was convicted, however 8 persons were acquitted. The section 371-A of PPC deals with selling person for purposes of prostitution, etc. it states whoever sells, lets to hire, or otherwise disposes of any person with intent that such a person shall at any time be employed or used for the purpose of prostitution or illicit intercourse with any person or for any unlawful and immoral purpose, or knowing it to be likely that such person shall at any time be employed or used for any such, purpose, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to twenty-five years, and shall also be liable to fine.
The section 371-B of PPC deals with buying person for purposes of prostitution, etc. It states whoever buys, hires or otherwise obtains possession of any person with intent that such person shall at any time be employed or used for the purpose of prostitution or illicit intercourse with any person or for any unlawful and immoral purpose, or knowing it to be likely that such person will at any time be employed or used for any such purpose, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to twenty-five years, and shall also be liable to fine.
In the year 2013, 68 such cases were registered out of which 54 were challaned and only one accused was convicted while 30 were acquitted.
The ICT police registered 14 cases under section 496-A of PPC in the year 2014.
The section deals with enticing or taking away or detaining with criminal intent a woman. Three cases were challaned and conviction rate remained zero. In 2014, 11 cases were registered under section 376 of the PPC which deals with punishment for rape. 8 cases were challaned and conviction remained zero while 2 were acquitted.