Trends And Patterns In Human Rights Violations In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: A 6-Year Official Record-Based Analysis

Abstract

This research examines human rights abuses by type, domestic violence and child abuse, over time in Pakistan from 2019 through 2024. The research utilized a quantitative methodology; all official data were compiled into Microsoft Excel and then analyzed using SPSS Version 25. The data came from validated government and nongovernment documents. The study found that, while there is some variability in the number of cases, both types of human rights abuses have trended downward since 2019. Further, the data suggest that several subcategories of domestic violence, such as beating, child abuse, such as sexual abuse and child marriage, and homicide, have declined substantially.

Domestic violence rates have varied, reaching a high of 15 cases in 2019, dropping to a low of 3 in 2021, and rising again to 10 in 2024. Child abuse has shown an even greater rate of decline, from 31 cases in 2019 to only 3 in 2024, with sexual abuse representing the greatest proportion of reported instances of child abuse. Analysis of these subcategories revealed that several continue to be problematic, including beating and child neglect; sexual abuse continues to represent the majority of reported child abuse cases. Acid attacks, kidnappings, and bonded labor each represented less than five percent of total instances.

The researchers emphasize the importance of continuing to enforce laws protecting victims, creating and maintaining public awareness campaigns, and developing policies specifically addressing new and persistent threats to human rights. The researchers also recommend that governments invest in developing support services for victims.