Police on Saturday arrested a man for allegedly raping a 7-year-old girl in Punjab's Khanewal district, DawnNewsTV reported.

A case was registered against the accused at Saddar police station, under Section 376 (punishment for rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The girl has been sent to THQ hospital for medical examination, police said, adding that initial reports from lady doctors at the hospital confirmed that the girl had endured rape.

Further investigation will be carried out after the medical reports are released, the police officials revealed.

Section 376 of PPC provides for death as penalty for rape as the maximum punishment and an imprisonment not less than 10 years and not more than 25 years in prison.

Since the start of 2018, there has been a marked upsurge in the reporting of sexual abuse cases across Pakistan. The brutal rape and murder of Zainab Ansari in Kasur, in particular, shocked the entire country, with #JusticeforZainab becoming the rallying cry in a nationwide drive to end violence against children.