A school teacher in Gujjar Khan was arrested on Friday for attempting to rape a nine-year-old girl, police said on Saturday.

The 20-year-old teacher was arrested after the father of the victim filed a first information report (FIR) with Gujjar Khan police about the incident.

According to the FIR, the girl was returning home after visiting a nearby shop when the accused molested her and tried to take her with him with the intent of rape.

It added that the girl was able to escape after a motorcyclist entered the street and the accused let her go.

The FIR was registered under Sections 376 [punishment of rape] and 511 [punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or for a shorter terms].

The investigating officer in the case, Sub-inspector Nazar Mohammad, said that the accused was arrested within hours of the incident as he did not expect that the victim's father would file a case against him.

He said that the medical examination of the victim had not taken place as her father had not consented to it, arguing that the victim escaped before being subjected to rape.

Police said the accused would be presented before a judicial magistrate today.

Since the beginning 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 earlier this year in particular shocked the entire country, with #JusticeforZainab becoming the rallying cry in a nationwide drive to end violence against children.