Violence against women is rising amid rising COVID-19 cases in Pakistan, local media reports said.  Pakistan imposed a nationwide partial lockdown in April 2020, which lasted till June, after media and rights organisations reported a massive increase in coronavirus cases.

As per a report by Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO), eight out of nine indicators including domestic violence had high occurrence across the country, IBNS said quoting The Nation.

“1,422 cases of domestic violence and 9,401 cases of violence against women were reported during the last six months of 2020,” the report said as quoted by the newspaper.

“There is a need for serious efforts by governments at all levels to ensure the implementation of laws related to the protection of women and children in the country,” SSDO Executive Director Syed Kausar Abbas was quoted as saying by The Nation.

Pakistan is witnessing a spike in COVID-19 cases in recent times.

The country has recorded 19336 deaths so far.