The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday ordered the Inspector General Punjab (IGP) to arrest the culprit responsible for 6-year-old Zainab's abduction, rape and murder within 36 hours.

LHC Chief Justice (CJ) Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, who was hearing a petition filed by Advocate Shaheem Pirzada to arrest the culprit, expressed surprise that despite reports of earlier incidents of similar nature from Kasur, none of the cases were brought to the court.

The CJ ordered the police to submit details of all the cases of child sexual abuse that had taken place in the area, adding that he would also demand a report on the cases from the sessions judge.

Read: 'How long will it take before you all forget about my sister?'

The Inspector General of Punjab (IGP) insisted that the police "were working sincerely" to catch the criminal. He told the court that one person's DNA had been found in six cases of assault.

The CJ warned that the court would not tolerate any delay in the case, at which the IGP assured him that the culprit would be caught.

The hearing was adjourned until January 15.

On January 10, protests had erupted in Kasur after Zainab's dead body was found in a garbage heap. Autopsy reports revealed that the girl was subjected to rape, torture and was then strangled to death. Zainab's murder was the 12th such incident reported in Kasur in a year.

Kasur had made headlines in 2015 as well when it was revealed that a gang of paedophiles was busted for running a child sex ring in the city.

Opinion

Editorial

Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...
Terror and politics
Updated 29 Sep, 2026

Terror and politics

There is an urgent need to tone down the rhetoric and tackle terrorism as a collective challenge for both the affected provinces and the federation.
Watching the glaciers
29 Sep, 2026

Watching the glaciers

THE latest signs from Pakistan’s mountains are worrying. Suparco says the number of unfrozen glacial lakes it...
Dangerous agenda
29 Sep, 2026

Dangerous agenda

AS the world remains fixated on the US-Iran conflict, elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel is consolidating its grip...