Child abuse: Pak sacks two officials, sends 7 to custody

Pakistan on Wednesday sacked two senior officials, including Punjab’s intelligence chief, for dereliction of duty while a court remanded seven people, accused in the country’s biggest child abuse scandal involving nearly 300 children, into police custody for 28 days.

The government has removed Punjab Special Branch chief Arif Mushtaq and District Police Officer Kasur district Rai Babar Saeed while two DSPs and an SHO Kasur have also been suspended from service, an official statement said.

“I am personally monitoring investigation progress of unfortunate Kasur incident and want to share <g data-gr-id="89">latest</g> update with you: joint investigation team will investigate right at the site so that everyone has access to it at <g data-gr-id="90">doorstep</g>. To ensure transparency DPO Kasur has been removed, said Shahbaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab.

“Punjab special branch chief has also been removed for not being able to provide intelligence information and report on time. Punjab Inspector General Police (IGP) has been sent to the village to ensure that investigation is carried out without discrimination and local influence,” he said.

A Pakistani court also remanded seven people to 28 days police custody for allegedly being involved in the scandal. Five other accused were remanded into police custody for 28 days on Tuesday.

Two main accused - Hasib and Yahya - are also in police custody. 

“I want to reiterate that we will not let anyone involved in this incident escape the law and justice. All victims and their families will be provided every possible assistance to identify culprits without any 

fear. Justice will be served,” Shahbaz added.

The Punjab government has constituted a five-member Joint Investigation Team to probe the matter which will submit a report within 14 days, a day after Lahore High Court Chief Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik’s refusal to form a Judicial Commission to conduct inquiry into the scandal.

Over 20 accused have been booked in the scandal involving 280 children who were sexually abused and being filmed by a gang which used the videos to blackmail their parents in Ganda Singh village, some 50 <g data-gr-id="59">kms</g> from Lahore.