The alleged rape and murder of seven-year-old Zainab has sparked massive protests in Kasur. People in other parts of Pakistan have also taken to streets and social media demanding #JusticeForZainab. The Kasur rape case has shocked entire Pakistan. Little Zainab was raped and murdered about 5-6 days ago and her body was found in a garbage pile near Shahbaz Road.
Kasur rape case: Zainab was raped, strangled to death
Zainab had gone to a tuition center in Road Kot area on January 4, Thursday when she was allegedly kidnapped. She was living with her aunts as her parents had gone to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. Her parents were scheduled to return on the same day she disappeared.
No traces of Zainab were found for 3-4 days. Later a video surfaced showing her with a stranger near Peerowala Road, according to Dawn News. The footage had gone viral on social media. But Zainab couldn’t be traced until Tuesday when police officials recovered her dead body from a pile of garbage near Shahbaz Khan Road.
According to the police, she had been killed four or five days prior. Postmortem reports suggest Zainab was raped multiple times before being strangled to death. As the word spread, shopkeepers shut down their shops to launch massive protests. They could be heard chanting slogans against the police and political authorities.
#JusticeForZainab: Protests turn violent as police open fire
Protesters have demanded immediate action against culprits in the Kasur rape case. The gates of the office of District Coordination Office (DCO) were locked after the protests erupted, but demonstrators broke the gates to storm into the DCO office. The angry demonstrators also vandalized the public property and pelted stones at officials.
People from different parts of Pakistan have taken to Facebook and Twitter to express their anger at the Kasur rape case. TV performer Nadia Jamil questioned the silence and inaction of authorities. Many others demanded that the culprits should be publicly punished and hanged to send a clear message to pedophiles.
BREAKING: Straight fire shot at protestors in #Kasur by police for protesting against the murderer and rapist of young girl. #JusticeForZainab pic.twitter.com/TiRF5AY1l6
— Sheeraz Raza (@SheerazRaza) January 10, 2018
⚠️ ⚠️Zainab.Age 7.
Raped,killed,found in trash of Qasur.
Her parents performing Umrah,will cm home 4 her funeral.
NOW look at this & decide what U want 2 use yor voice on social media 4.
How long will we b silent abt child abuse?
How many Zainabs will it take?#Justice4Zainab pic.twitter.com/rkyJGSSo3g— Nadia Jamil (@NJLahori) January 9, 2018
https://twitter.com/itxArshhere_/status/950831428803100678
Another Twitter user asked authorities to “kill them (culprits) slowly and painfully as possible.” One Twitter user reminded the people in power that a similar incident had taken place in Iran last year and the Iranian government had “openly hanged the assaulter in front of a large crowd.”
I can’t control the tears …..honestly I feel like forgetting about QAANON and people should find the culprit and kill them slowly and painfully as possible ….
— Sheema (@sheems20) January 9, 2018
LHC takes notice of the Kasur rape case
Shockingly, the political leadership of the country took note of the Kasur rape case only after the public outcry on streets and social media. On Wednesday, Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah took suo moto notice of the issue and sent directives to relevant authorities. Punjab CM Shehbaz Sharif has asked the forensic lab to expedite the process of Zainab’s autopsy.
Speaking to Dawn, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said, “People need to keep their emotions in check and not aggravate the situation.” The Senate Standing Committee chairman Rehman Malik called the Kasur rape case unforgivable and asked the Punjab police to submit a report on the issue within five days.
Kasur residents scared of sending out their girls to schools
While entire Pakistan is demanding #JusticeForZainab, the trouble is far deeper. The situation in Kasur is such that parents are scared of sending out their girls to schools or tuition centers. Zainab was the 12th minor girl to be raped and assaulted in Kasur since last year. How many more Zainabs will it take for the authorities to wake up and punish the monsters?
Kasur residents are increasingly concerned about the rising incidents of rape, murder, and kidnapping of minor girls. All the 12 girls that have fallen prey to the monstrosities of pedophiles in Kasur since last year were between 5 and 8 years. Their dead bodies were found in different parts of the town days after they were kidnapped.
