LAHORE — Lahore recorded 498 reported rape cases and 36 gang-rape cases during the first eight months of 2026, according to figures reported in September, with police data showing hundreds of cases spread across the city’s major divisions.
The figures got fresh attention after a recent report showing sexual assault crimes in the first eight months of. 2026 figures show 1,108 reported sexual-offence cases when 574 reported sodomy cases are included. That works out to more than four reported cases a day during the eight-month period.
The police-division breakdown reveals the scale of the cases across Lahore. Saddar recorded the highest number of reported rape cases at 132, followed by Model Town with 98, Cantonment with 92, Iqbal Town with 80, City with 56, and Civil Lines with 40. Together, the six divisions account for all 498 reported rape cases.
Gang-rape cases were recorded across all six divisions as well. Model Town reported 10 cases, Cantonment 9, Saddar and Iqbal Town 6 each, Civil Lines 3, and City 2, bringing the total to 36.
Behind the stats lies another concern: the number of cases registered by police is not actually the number of offences actually committed. Rights organisations repeatedly pointed to stigma, fear, social pressure and barriers to reporting as factors that can prevent victims from approaching law enforcement. An increase in registered FIRs can therefore reflect both an increase in incidents and greater reporting.
Punjab remains a major focus of national monitoring on gender-based violence. Organisations including Sahil and SSDO have documented substantial numbers of reported rape and other gender-based violence cases in the province. At the same time, the justice system continues to face a severe conviction-rate problem. A figure cited for Punjab puts the rape conviction rate at around 0.4% in 2024.
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