Pakistan to establish over 1,000 courts to tackle violence against women

Chief justice Asif Saeed Khosa said the special courts would let victims speak out without fear of retaliation, The Guardian reports.

There are thousands of cases of violence against women in Pakistan every year, including rape and acid attacks as well as honour killings.

“We are going to have 1,016 gender-based violence courts across Pakistan, at least one such court apiece in every district,” Chief Justice Khosa said in an address.

“The atmosphere of these courts will be different from other courts so that complainants can speak their heart without any fear,” he added.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said there 845 incidents of sexual violence against women last year. It said violence against women went largely unreported, particularly in rural areas.

Pakistan is ranked as the sixth most dangerous country in the world for women in a Thomson Reuters Foundation survey of global experts.

Romana Bashir, who leads the Peace and Development Foundation, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to women’s rights, said it was “a wonderful safeguarding measure”.

“Certainly women will be encouraged and feel strengthened to speak up against gender-based violence. Consequently, women will be able to get justice,” she said.