Islamabad, April 1 – In yet another shocking crime, four men are alleged to have gang-raped a woman in a van that was traveling through the Baga Sheikhan area, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Rawat police in Punjab province, Pakistan, local media reported.
A police spokesperson said that special teams have been set up to arrest the accused, and raids are being conducted. He further mentioned that the victim has undergone a medical examination, according to Dawn, Pakistan’s leading daily.
The victim’s mother filed a First Information Report (FIR) with the police on Sunday, stating that her 19-year-old daughter, who has been married for five years, went to the market to buy clothes for her children for Eid. After reaching Chak Beli Morr, she boarded a wagon to go to Rawat Bazaar.
During the journey, the conductor allegedly closed the door and turned the vehicle back towards Chak Beli Road. According to the FIR, the conductor overpowered the victim after she raised an alarm. The van then moved towards Chak Beli Road, where she was made to board another van by one individual, while the driver was identified as “S”.
The accused then took the victim to the Baga Sheikhan area, where they stopped near a house and tried to forcibly take her inside. According to the FIR, another accomplice was called to the spot. Thereafter, all four accused allegedly took turns to assault her in the vehicle while driving on different roads around Baga Sheikhan. Later, they dropped the victim near Chak Beli Morr.
The complainant stated that the accused threatened her daughter and recorded her video. The police have registered a case and started an investigation into the matter.
Earlier this month, the Human Rights Council of Pakistan (HRCP) revealed that 258 cases of rape were reported in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in 2025. However, only one conviction was recorded.
HRCP revealed the fresh statistics in a 2025 human rights report launched at the Peshawar Press Club, Dawn reported. During the launch of the report, the council’s provincial president Izharuddin Khan said that around five per cent of women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa face violence regularly. He stated that about 30 per cent of gender-based violence cases were reported while nearly 70 per cent remain unreported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Khan mentioned that harassment cases were also reported in universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding that female students were not safe from gender-based harassment. According to the report, harassment complaints were made in the University of Peshawar and the University of Malakand. He said that traditional practices such as "swara," the giving of girls in marriage to settle disputes, was still practiced in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to the report, there was a rise in digital harassment, with about 160,000 cybercrime cases reported in 2025. However, officials said that these cases only represent instances where victims were aware of cybercrime reporting techniques, while an estimated 30 to 40 per cent of incidents went unreported due to a lack of knowledge.
Representatives of the council urged the government to introduce legislation to safeguard the rights of women and ensure their safety. They urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly to approve a women’s empowerment policy and implement laws addressing acid attacks and domestic violence. They also called for setting up special courts and dedicated funds to tackle cases related to gender-based violence and demanded stronger measures to empower women and protect their rights.