Police on Thursday arrested two suspects, including a cleric, for allegedly sexually abusing a boy and filming the incident in Muzaffargarh, according to police officials.

Civil Lines police arrested the suspects after videos of the incident circulated on social media and registered a case against them on the complaint of a citizen. Station House Officer (SHO) Sajjad Kushk said the suspect was being interrogated and strict punishment would be meted out in accordance with the law.

The first information report (FIR) was registered under Sections 375-A (rape), 376 (punishment for rape) and 292-C (child pornography) of the Pakistan Penal Code on September 1.

According to the FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the complainant said on August 27 that he had seen videos on Facebook of the suspect sexually abusing a boy. The FIR states that he identified two suspects, a cleric and a welder, with the latter responsible for filming and uploading the videos.

"Other witnesses with me have seen them and identified them as well," the FIR quoted him as saying. He said the cleric had angered the sentiments of the local residents through his actions, made obscene videos that had brought disrepute to the area and "besmirched the sanctity of the mosque".

The FIR requested legal proceedings to be initiated against the suspects and the registration of a case against them.

Last month, Muzaffargarh police had arrested a man for allegedly sexually assaulting a teenage girl in the city's Wasandywaly area.

The FIR of the incident, which took place on Aug 1, was registered on Aug 16 against two men, one of whom was unidentified. Lodged on the complaint of the victim's mother, the FIR accused the suspects of filming the girl, aged between 12 and 13, while she was being raped.