Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar announced on Friday Rs 5 million bounty for anyone providing information to authorities on the perpetrators of h
orrifying rape-cum-murder of three minor boys in Kasur district.
Protests broke out in Kasur’s Chunian tehsil early Wednesday, a day after the bodies of the three missing
children were found. The discovery once again sent the country in deep shock.
The chief minister made the announcement while speaking to the media after meeting the family of one of the victims, Faizan. He said he had suspended all the police officers found negligent in preventing the h
orrifying incidents.
“We are with you in this hour of grief,” Buzdar said, promising to bring the perpetrators to justice. He said ther
e was no pressure on the law enforcers and the incidents would be investigated on merit.
The chief minister said his government would provide whichever resources were sought by the police. “We will not tolerate black sheep in the police,” he warned.
Buzdar said the Punjab Forensic Science Agency was conducting DNA tests, anti-terrorism clauses had been included in the case, and a special court would conduct the trial.
He said the Dolphin Force had been deployed in Chunian, while it would also be linked to the Safe City Lahore.
The chief minister also announced establishment of a Child Protection Cell in the district. Kasur has long been at the centre stage of
child abuse in Pakistan, with several cases surfacing from across the district over the past years. In January 2018, the body of a minor girl, Zainab, was found from a garbage heap. Sh
e was raped and murdered. The incident had sent shock waves across the country drawing calls for the arrest of and stern punishment to the perpetrator.
Police arrested Zainab’s murderer, Imran Ali, with the help of DNA testing. H
e was subsequently sentenced to death and executed in October, 2018.
However, the recent discovery of the bodies of
children has once again reminded people of the deep-seating problem that needs to be addressed.
Separately, in a message, Buzdar said that Almighty Allah had created this universe for peace, harmony and tranquillity but it was a tragedy that human beings had long forgotten this divine message.
He said that global peac
e was in danger due to the fanatic
approach. The people living in Occupied
Kashmir, Palestine and other areas of the world are longing for peace, he said. The core issue of
Kashmir has become a threat to regional peace due to the stubbornness of the Indian government as the Modi government has devastated peace in Occupied
Kashmir through a policy of barbarity and cruelty. He said that the international community should take practical steps to stop human rights violations in Occupied
Kashmir. The fanatic
approach of Narendra Modi has threatened the whole region, he added and further said that poverty, injustice, ignorance, aggression and aggressive designs are the stumbling blocks in the establishment of peace. Usman Buzdar said that Pakistan is a peace-loving country and Pakistanis are well aware of the importance of peace because it is directly linked with development and prosperity. Pakistan is heralding the efforts of maintaining peace and harmony. Pakistan is more peaceful and secure today, he said. The ones sacrificing their lives for promoting peace in the country are the heroes of the whole nation. Today, there is a need to promote public awareness about the importance of peace in the world, he concluded.