Islamabad/rawalpindi - Students, teachers, lawyers and members of the civil society held protest demonstrations against Kasur incident in different parts of the twin cities on Thursday.
In Islamabad, scores of students from different institutes held rallies against the brutality meted out to the seven-year-old Zainab, demanding justice for the family of the victim. The students of Quaid-i-Azam University while holding placards held a walk from the administration block to library. They voiced against the crime and inefficiency of Kasur administration which failed in providing protection to the residents. The students also condemned the killing of protesters by police force in Kasur.
“The incident reflects failure of the system,” said Maha, a student of biochemistry at the QAU.
The protesting students while stressing the society to play active role in condemning and preventing such incidents against children asked the government to swiftly respond to the incident by awarding strict punishment to the culprit involved.
“This is not the first incident, but the ruling people do not care for protection of the children,” said Ali Kazmi, a student of pharmacy at the varsity, who also participated in the walk.
The students urged every section of society to come out against child abuse in the country.
Similarly, students of Federal Urdu University of Science and Technology held a protest against the incident, condemning the authorities’ pace of providing justice to the citizens.
“Such incidents show that the country was unsafe for children,” said Azam. “We are shocked, police had the CCTV footage but they failed in recovering the child,” said Zainab.
A large number of daily-wage teachers also gathered outside the National Press Club to express solidarity with the victim family and denounce the act occurred at Kasur.
The teachers held prayer for the deceased girl and stressed the government to end the case on emergency basis for solace of the victim family.
“This is horrific incident and unjust with the girl and her family,” said Roohul Amin, a daily wager teacher. No parent can absorb such incident while the state looks to have failed before the criminals, he added. “There should be no delay in providing justice to the victim family,” he demanded.
Also, in Rawalpindi, students, teachers, lawyers and members of civil society demonstrated against the brutal act in various parts of city.
The protesters took out rallies and condemned the barbarianism committed against a minor girl. They chanted slogans against the police and stressed the government to apprehend the culprit and hang him in front of the public.
Meanwhile, a large number of students of Pir Mehar Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University gathered at Murree Road near Shamasbad and staged a protest demonstration against the Kasur incident. They were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans sympathising with Zainab and against the police and other law enforcement agencies for failing to have protected the girl. “Arrest the rapist and punish him publicly”, “Stop violence against children” and “We condemn government silence over sadistic incident” were the slogans written on the placards held by the protestors.
Addressing the protestors, the student leaders vehemently condemned the Kasur incident and police brutality against innocent protestors. They said that as many as 12 children were sexually assaulted in Kasur whereas the police failed in netting the culprits. They said that the sexual assault on Zainab had rattled the country as people were on roads to express their sorrow and anger. They stressed the government to arrest the culprits and bring them to the book.
In addition, scores of residents of Glass Factory area staged protest demonstration against the incident. The protestors bellowed slogans against the police and Punjab government for their failure in nabbing the culprit involved in the murder of Zainab.
They also condemned firing incident against protestors. The protestors urged Cheif Justice Saqib Nisar to take notice of the brutality. Later they dispersed peacefully.
Activists of Tehreek-e-Labaik Ya Rasool (TLYR) also gathered outside Rawalpindi Press Club and held a protest demo to condemn killing of Zainab. The protestors chanted slogans against the police and Punjab government for not having rounded up the culprit so far.
“The CM Punjab should take stern action against the police for failing to arrest the killer,” they demanded.