Islamabad, June 6 : At least 432 cases of sexual assault and kidnapping were registered by Pakistani police in Islamabad between January and May this year, local media reported.

Citing police sources, Pakistan's leading daily, Dawn, reported that a total of 55 cases of sexual assault were recorded during the reporting period.

Among the 55 sexual assault cases, 15 were registered in the Soan Zone, followed by 13 in the Sadar Zone, 12 in the Rural Zone, 9 in the Industrial Area Zone, and 6 in the City Zone.

Additionally, a zone-wise breakdown of the 377 kidnapping cases revealed that the Sadar Zone recorded the highest number at 99, followed by the Soan Zone with 89, the Rural Zone with 76, the City Zone with 44, and the Industrial Area Zone with 29 cases.

Of the kidnapping cases, one involved a victim who was reportedly kidnapped from Islamabad and was later found murdered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. In a separate incident, three persons allegedly raped a boy in the area of Pindorian on February 28 and recorded the heinous act.

The data further revealed a series of sexual assaults across Islamabad. In one incident, a girl was reportedly gang-raped by five persons in the area of I-16 on March 19, while another case involved sexual assault of a boy by three persons in Sihala on March 31.

In another 24 cases of sexual assault registered during the period, the victims included 15 girls, three women, and a boy. It added that the 15-year-old boy was assaulted at gunpoint by two persons in Mehrban Town on April 15, Dawn reported.

Reports suggest that police registered 69 cases under Section 365, which pertains to kidnapping or abduction with the intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person.

The cases involved 64 male and five female victims. In one such incident, a man was allegedly abducted from outside his residence in Sector F-6/1 on May 4, and his body was recovered from Mardan the following day.

Last month, a report highlighted that the sexual assault of a young 19-year-old mother in Pakistan's Rawat area in Islamabad was not an isolated incident but reflected a broader pattern, raising concerns about systemic challenges in addressing gender-based violence in the country.

It stressed that the case had brought attention to these interconnected issues, underscoring how structural weaknesses continue to shape the safety and security of women.

According to the report in 'Asian News Post,' the persistence of sexual violence in Pakistan is closely connected to the "perception of impunity", where perpetrators believe they can escape without facing consequences.

/IANS