GUJRAT: As many as 25 women have been killed in Gujrat district during the current year, showing a significant decline as compared to the last few years.

Most of the women were killed by their kin either to preserve honour or to settle domestic disputes. However, none of the suspects involved in these cases have been awarded punishment by the courts due to procedural hitches and reconciliation between complainants and accused.

The number of women killed during 2017 was 41 with 35 killed in 2016, 36 in 2014 and 51 in 2013. The conviction rate has been very low even though the state itself becomes complainant in such cases after the legislation to the effect a few years ago. Most of the cases were reported in rural areas.

A senior police investigation officer told Dawn that he believed culture and traditions were the main reason behind violence against women. He stressed effective legislation and awareness campaigns to contain such violence as suspects would often get released on technical grounds mainly due to pardoning and reconciliation with complainants, who were mostly the victim’s relatives.

Asad Gujjar, the spokesmen for the Gujrat police, told Dawn that all the 39 nominated suspects involved in these 25 reported cases of 2018 had been arrested. He said challans of all cases were sent to the courts. Three cases were quashed since two of them were suicide cases and in third one the parties reconciled and two cases were still under investigation.

He said five women had been killed over honor and 20 others were slain over marriage and other domestic disputes. He said that the ratio of such cases had witnessed a sharp decline in comparison to the previous years as the number of all murder cases in the district had also decreased in the year 2018.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2018