Daily Times

LAHORE: An application has been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking legal proceedings against Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and IG Punjab for failing to implement constitution and ensure the protection of basic rights of citizens.

The application, filed in the wake of the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kasur, advocate Azhar Siddiq on Thursday urged the LHC to issue directives to the incumbent Governor of Punjab to impose emergency as “both the provincial and federal governments have failed to ensure the protection of basic rights of citizens”.

The petitioner asked the court to take action against the relevant authorities and view the violation of rights as equivalent to terrorism. “The government has failed to implement the ‘principle of policy and constitutional rights,” the petition read, adding a case should be opened against Rana Sanullah, Shehbaz Sharif and IG Punjab.

At least two people killed and several others were injured on Wednesday as police reportedly opened fire on citizens holding protest against the rape and murder of eight-year-old Zainab in Kasur.

Seven-year-old Zainab, a resident of Rod Kot area of Kasur, was kidnapped on her way to a tuition centre on January 05. Her body was found at a garbage pile near Kashmir Chowk after four days. Initial postmortem report revealed the minor was strangled to death after being raped for multiple times.

When the incident occurred, the minor’s parents were in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.

Riots erupted in Kasur on Wednesday as residents agitated against perceived police inaction over the alleged rape and murder of the minor. Two people were killed by gunshot wounds as enraged protesters armed with sticks and stones attempted to storm the deputy commissioner’s office and were repelled by police. Several others were injured, hospital sources said.