Zainab’s father appointed focal person for child abuse in Kasur

Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) Punjab Chairperson Sarah Ahmad on Tuesday announced that Zainab Ansari’s father Amin Ansari is being appointed as the focal person for child abuse in the Kasur district. According to details, the father of the six-year-old – who was raped and killed in January 2018 – volunteered himself for the task.

Zainab’s case had sparked countrywide outrage and protests and her perpetrator Imran Ali was executed nine months after her death.

We are appointing Zainab’s father as focal person for child abuse (voluntary) in Kasur district. pic.twitter.com/ujhBZCirkE

— Sarah Ahmad (@SarahAhmad_CPWB) September 24, 2019

The bureau, on the directives of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, has launched a campaign in Kasur to raise awareness regarding child sexual abuse. According to the chairperson, this is the “first time that the government has started a campaign in Kasur.” Previously only NGOs were the only ones working on the ground to tackle the problem of child abuse in the area.

This is the first time that the govt has started Campaign in Kasur. Previously only ngos were doing. Within this week committees at UC level comprising of professionals legal officers etc will be ready to go in the field InshAllah.

— Sarah Ahmad (@SarahAhmad_CPWB) September 25, 2019

Though the bureau had established a small outreach centre at the TMA Hall in early 2018, after Zainab’s case, the centre had not been equipped properly and largely depended on the Lahore head office.

The development comes days after the remains of three minor boys, whom police suspect were raped and murdered, were found in Kasur’s Chunian Tehsil. According to the police, two children were reported missing in August while a third had gone missing earlier this month. On the indication of a local worker, police found the body of one of the boys and the skeletal remains of the other two at a deserted place in Chunian Industrial Estate area. Residents in Chunian says that five children had gone missing in recent months. The remains of four have now been found.

Investigators claim that the heinous crimes have been committed by a single person as suggested by the result of the samples taken from the body of one of the victims, Faizan. The police have so far detained 20 suspects from Chunian, while the samples of over 950 others have also been collected for DNA tests.

The discovery of the bodies had led to violent protests after which the government including Prime Minister Imran Khan had taken notice of the incident.

In recent years, Kasur has garnered international attention for being a hotspot for child abuse and pornography.