An eight-year-old girl, Zainab, was allegedly raped and killed in Kasur, days after she went missing from home.

The victim’s parents, who were performing Umrah, reached Islamabad an hour after their daughter’s funeral in Kasur. Speaking to the media, Zainab’s father said, “In Pakistan, security is only for leaders and we are just common insects.” He further stated the police did nothing when they were informed about her abduction, and said Zainab was a loving child who had a keen interest in religion. “She knew the five Islamic kalmas by heart.”

Zainab’s parents will leave for Lahore from Islamabad at 5pm.

The parents also pleaded for the CJP to take suo moto notice of their daughter’s case.

The child’s father further claimed, “We will not bury our daughter until justice is served”.

Fighting to speak through tears, Zainab’s mother said she wanted nothing but justice for her daughter.

Chief Justice Lahore High Court, Syed Mansoor Ali Shah on Wednesday took notice of the minor girl’s killing. Justice Mansoor also sought a report of the incident from District and Session Kasur over the issue.

The funeral of the minor girl was held in Kasur and was observed by hundreds. Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Chief Tahirul Qadri was also in attendance and led the prayers.

Offering prayers, Qadri offered condolences to the family of the victim. “I am here to stand up for their rights, she was going to learn, to receive education and they killed her and dumped her.”

Zainab went missing five days prior to her body being found in a heap of garbage. As per details, the girl was abducted near her home when she was on her way to Holy Quran class. An FIR was registered on January 4 by the victim’s uncle Muhammad Adnan as the girl’s parents were out of the country when she went missing. The FIR was registered at Sadar police station in Kasur. Her body was found on Tuesday night.

After the incident, police sent the dead body to a hospital for postmortem. Initial reports revealed that the girl was raped multiple times.

What we know:

• Protesters stormed DC office on Wednesday after victim’s body was found
• At least 2 dead and scores injured after police dispersed the protesters through aerial firing
• Parents of deceased not in town when she went missing, went to perform Umrah
• Police confirms the girl was raped, murdered and thrown in trash
• LHC CJ has taken notice of the incident
• Funeral prayers were led by PAT Chief Tahirul Qadri
• Politicians, including PTI Chief ask for swift accountability
• Victim laid to rest on Wednesday afternoon
• Kasur police claim they have not received medical reports so far

Protests break out in Kasur

Protests erupted outside District Commissioner (DC) office in Kasur with protesters attacking the station. Ariel firing was used by the police to disperse the crowd, resulting in at least two dead and several injured. One of the deceased has been identified as Muhammad Ali.

parents in Kasur are expressing a deepening fear of sending their children to schools in the area.

According to reports, many protesters dispersed in respect of the funeral proceedings expected to be held later today.

The family and community took to the streets on Wednesday morning to protest after the horrific incident forcing all markets to shut down. District Bar and Anjuman Tajran announced strike against the murder of the minor girl, and also protested over the non-arrest of the suspects.

Police have so far been unable to track down the kidnappers despite CCTV footage being made available. District Police Officer Kasur, Zulfiqar Hameed stated police is conducting its investigation.

One suspect who has been identified through CCTV footage and a sketch that was made available by police have been reproduced below.

this is the eighth victim in Kasur who has been murdered after rape. The same sample was found from the DNAs of all the victims.

Within the premises of Sadar police station, including the current victim, 12 girls have been raped and thrown into the garbage heap, out of which 11 died. While the police registered reports of the cases, they did not take any pragmatic measures to arrest the culprit.

Speaking to media, Sheikhupura Regional Police Officer Zulfiqar Hameed said the police is currently investigating the matter. When asked about the medical reports, Hameed said they have not come in yet and thus no comments could made. He also reiterated that this was the 12th rape case reported in Kasur in the past year.

However, sources said that the police have received the medical reports but are withholding information from the public.

Political reactions 

PTI Chief Imran Khan took to Twitter to condemn the incident saying “The condemnable and horrific rape and murder of little Zainab exposes once again how vulnerable our children are in our society. This is not the first time such horrific acts have happened. We have to act swiftly to punish the guilty and ensure that our children are better protected.”

SCREEN GRAB

PTI Chief Imran Khan blamed the “total degeneration of Punjab police” for the situation in Kasur and their handling of the protests that took place today.

Speaking to a private news channel, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanullah stated that agitators in guise of protesters are trying to disrupt the law and order situation of the province.

“All the suspects, from previous cases being spoken about, have been arrested,” said Sanaullah.

He further added that the government was trying resolve the situation and vowed that the culprits will be brought to justice at the earliest.

Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif taking notice of the case ordered for the prompt arrest of the suspect. He added that he would be supervising the progress of the case personally.

“Justice should be served to the affected family at all cost. The killers of the innocent girl won’t be able to escape,” he said.

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has termed the brutal rape and murder the minor in Kasur as shocking and a slap on the face of Sharifdom, which continues to ignore such ghastly incidents.

“Ten incidents of minors’ rape and murders had been reported in Kasur and eleven in Sheikhupura alone last year. It seems some parts of Punjab have been turned into hell for the children, especially the girls but Sharif brothers appear to have abandoned their duty as rulers,” the PPP Chairman said in a statement issued today.

Bilawal said that gory incident of children rapes and murders have shaken the society and any tolerance by Sharif brothers to perpetrators of these crimes won’t be accepted.

PPP Chairman demanded that rapists and killers of every innocent child should be brought to book and none of them should go scot-free.

Bilawal reiterated that protection of children was top priority of PPP and crimes against the children would be sternly dealt with. He expressed sympathies with all those parents who suffered the agonies and assured that PPP stands in solidarity with them. PPP will raise voice against these atrocities on our innocent children at every forum, he added.

Other politicians and celebrities also took to Twitter to lodge their protests.