9-year-old boy murdered after sexual assault in Gujranwala

GUJRANWALA: In the latest incident of child sexual abuse, a nine-year-old boy was murdered after allegedly being subjected to sexual abuse in Gujranwala, ARY News reported on Sunday.

Police said the body of the child, who went missing two days back, was found lying in a water channel in Gujranwala’s Nowshehra Virkan area.

A police official said the body had been shifted to a nearby hospital for medical examination.

He said the suspect identified as Ishtiaq had also been taken into custody for allegedly sexually abusing and murdering the boy.

The officer said the arrested accused had confessed to the crime.

Outraged at the incident, the residents of the area staged a protest demonstration, calling for harsher punishment for the culprit.

Several cases of child sexual abuse have come to the light lately after the horrific rape and murder of seven-year-old Zainab in Kasur, which sparked widespread outrage and protests across the country.

A day earlier, an anti-terrorism court awarded four death penalties to the prime suspect, Imran Ali, for raping and murdering the minor.

He was also sentenced to life imprisonment and a separate 7-year-term. The court also asked him to pay a fine of Rs3.1 million.

The court conducted the swiftest trial in Pakistan’s history at Kot Lakhpat Jail and concluded proceedings within a week.