In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, a court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for raping and kidnapping his underage wife, marking a significant legal precedent in the region. The decision, hailed as a milestone for women’s rights by lawyer Mian Safeer, was handed down by a court specializing in gender-based violence cases in the north-western part of the country. The victim, who was underage and spiritually married, had been abducted and assaulted by the man. Marital rape has been a criminal offense in Pakistan since 2021, reflecting ongoing efforts to address pervasive violence against women in a society shaped by patriarchal norms and cultural traditions.
