Handling of gender violence cases improved: Punjab police
Asif Mehmood Butt
Saturday, Nov 22, 2025
LAHORE: Punjab Police has reported clear improvements in its response to gender-based violence (GBV) cases across the province during 2025, citing stronger investigations, quicker case processing and increased public engagement with police stations.
According to an exclusive data available with The News, the force recorded encouraging trends in case registration, scrutiny, arrest operations and overall protection mechanisms for women and children. The figures show that 61,999 GBV-related FIRs were registered between January 1 and October 31, 2025, reflecting the continuation of the free-registration policy. Officials said the system now enables women to approach police stations “with considerably greater confidence” than in previous years.
Of the total registered cases, 27,620 (45 per cent) were cancelled after investigation. Police officials said the cancellations followed complete inquiry, evidence examination and hearing of the complainants as required under the Police Rules, 1934. They added that the numbers indicate improved scrutiny rather than under-reporting or neglect, as cases lacking evidence are processed more transparently.
The data further shows that 27,780 cases (45 per cent) were challaned within the period. Senior officers maintained that investigations were conducted strictly on merit and that supervisory oversight had been strengthened across districts. They said prompt departmental action is taken against officers found negligent in investigation or uncooperative with victims.
The figures reveal that out of 105,754 nominated accused, 76 per cent have been arrested, while efforts to trace the remaining suspects continue. Police officials said that the non-arrested accused do not pose security risks to victims, as protection measures under the Punjab Witness Protection Act, 2018 are actively enforced. Punjab’s Inspector General of Police, while speaking to this scribe, said the force remains committed to ensuring that “every woman and child feels protected and heard,” adding that the institutional coordination in GBV cases “is stronger today than in previous years.”
(THE NEWS)