ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Rape (Victim and Witness Protection) Rules, 2025 has been notified in the Gazette of Pakistan in April 2026, have formally come into force upon the recommendation of the Special Committee under the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act, 2021.
Ayesha Raza Farooq – chairperson of the of Special Statutory Committee on Anti-Rape legislation disclosed on her social media platform (LinkedIn) saying these Rules are not just a legal instrument. They are a promise to every survivor, every witness, every child who has been too afraid to speak.
Here is what the law now guarantees:
Non-Disclosure of Identity: From the moment an FIR is registered, the victim’s name, address, parentage and all identifying details are replaced with pseudonyms across all documents. Medico-legal certificates are treated as classified. Disclosure without written consent is punishable by up to three years imprisonment
Informed Consent Proforma: A standardised proforma under Annex-A ensures survivors are fully informed of their rights before any consent to identity disclosure is obtained, voluntarily and without force or coercion.
Special Court Security Arrangements: Courts can clear public galleries, use reserved entry routes, and deploy screens and opaque shields so that victims and witnesses can attend and leave court without being seen, identified or intimidated.
Audio-Visual Link Testimony: Where a victim or witness cannot attend in person due to safety concerns or unavoidable circumstances, examination can be conducted via video link with a designated coordinator ensuring no coaching, coercion or manipulation takes place.
Media Prohibition: The identity of victims, witnesses and their family members is prohibited from being reported across print, electronic, social and all other media platforms.
Witness Anonymity Orders: Courts may issue formal Witness Anonymity Orders withholding names, addresses and identifying details and barring any publication of witness identity, while ensuring the accused’s right to a fair trial is fully preserved.
Child-Sensitive Protections: For child witnesses, additional safeguards apply including child-friendly environments, separate rooms connected to the courtroom via audio-visual link, communication aids, familiar language and guardian accompaniment.
Support Persons: A support person of the same gender, whether a family member, mental health professional, Child Protection Officer or Independent Support Adviser, may accompany the victim throughout the course of trial. These Rules were built on one conviction: that justice must never be a second trauma.
The Special Committee is deeply grateful to the Ministry of Law and Justice for notifying these Rules, and to all the legal experts, child protection advocates,civil society voices, and survivors whose courage shaped every provision, Ayesha Raza Farooq concluded.
