KASUR: Scores of villagers of Sarai Mughal on Friday staged a protest demonstration against, what they said, police failure to register cases and arrest the rapists of minor girls.

Six girls between 5 and 15 years were allegedly raped or subjected to rape attempts during the last one month.

Panic prompted the locals to gather outside the Sarai Mughal police station and voice concern at the rising number of rape cases. The protesters also blocked the road by putting burnt tyres and threw traffic out of gear, saying police neither registered cases nor arrested any of the suspects.

Kasur has been notorious for such incidents as many years ago hundreds of children at Hussain Khanwala village were abused and filmed for blackmailing and extorting money. In 2018, seven girls were raped and killed before the infamous Zainab rape-murder case. Four minor boys were raped and killed in Chunian last year.

These incidents of child abuse attracted worldwide attention and were earlier ignored by local police. Police failed to lodge cases and arrest the suspects. The Punjab government and law-enforcement agencies were alerted only after people took to the street.

On Friday, the protesters said they were living under the shadow of fear as the number of cases of rape and attempted rape was on the rise and all their pleas and cries were falling on deaf ears. They also said the suspects remained unidentified while they had given CCTV footages to the local police who were not taking the issue seriously. They said they were forced to come out and block the road.

While the protest was in progress, police claimed that they had arrested an alleged rapist. Police also claimed that they had already lodged a case of child molestation and five other cases would be registered soon.

DPO Imran Kishwar reached the spot and assured the protesters of justice.

The protesters dispersed peacefully but threatened to take to the street again if the suspects were not arrested.

NEW CASES: Two women were allegedly raped while a woman escaped the rape attempt in various parts of Kasur on Friday.

A property dealer allegedly raped a woman on the pretext of showing her a house for rent on Saddar Dewan Road.

In another incident, a man allegedly raped a woman after taking him at a deserted place near Pattoki bypass.

The security guard of a textile mill attempted rape of a woman whom he called in the office on the pretext of interview for a job.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2020