KARACHI, Feb 7: More than 7,500 women were the victims of torture and other excesses in 2006. A rights group providing legal aid to children and women victims of human rights abuses said on Wednesday that “despite Pakistan being a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), there is an increase in violence, trafficking, murder and torture of women in Pakistan.” Advocate Zia Ahmed Awan, head of the Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA) compiled the report, with Madadgar’s help, a subsidiary of LHRLA.

A press conference was held at the LHRLA office to present the report. It reported 7,564 cases of violence against women nationwide.

Most were reported in Punjab where it recorded 4,457 incidents while 2,415 cases were recorded in Sindh. There were 552 incidents of violence against women in NWFP while Balochistan reported 140 cases.

“Shockingly, women were victimised more in educated areas rather than backward localities. Karachi recorded numerous cases of assault on women, which is disturbing.

The City of Lights reported 207 women physically assaulted. In most cases, close relatives like husband, brother, father and brother-in-law were the perpetrators. Most cases related to domestic violence, which depicts to what extent our women are defenceless at home, the report says.

Another 156 women were falsely accused and arrested. Eighty four burnt alive, 70 kidnapped, 34 arrested under Hudood laws, 20 subjected to police harassment, 37 declared Kari, 20 accused of adultery, 12 sold, nine gang raped, while four were raped and murdered,” the report said.

Nationwide, there were 1,993 reported torture cases of which 1,414 were recorded in Punjab, 434 in Sindh, 108 in NWFP and 37 in Balochistan.

There were 1,288 murder cases recorded in Pakistan. Punjab reported 647 cases, Sindh 412, NWFP 206 and Balochistan 23 cases. Punjab witnessed 13 rape-murders while Sindh had seven such cases.

There were 1,271 women kidnapped. Punjab reported 874 cases, Sindh 340, NWFP 46 and 11 kidnapped in Balochistan.

There were 792 women who lost their lives in honour killings. Sindh had the most cases; 458, while 264 cases were reported in Punjab. In NWFP 43 women were murdered while 27 cases were reported from Balochistan.

There were 822 suicide cases recorded with 358 in Punjab, 385 in Sindh, 66 in NWFP and 13 in Balochistan.

There were 468 sexual offences committed against women, Punjab recorded 358, Sindh 88 and NWFP recorded 22 cases.

There were 259 gang rape cases recorded of which Punjab reported 194, Sindh 58, NWFP six cases and Balochistan one case.

There were 119 cases of women trafficking cases in Pakistan, of which 53 were reported in Punjab, 33 in Sindh, seven in NWFP and 26 women in Balochistan.

There were 144 women booked under Hudood laws. Punjab reported 74, Sindh 59 and NWFP 11 cases.