Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif has come under heavy criticism after he switched off the microphone of Amin Ansari, the father of Zainab Amin, during Tuesday’s press conference where the identity of Zainab’s killer was revealed by the CM. Netizens have raised questions about the intentions of CM Shehbaz behind the move.
Amin, while speaking to reporters, said that he was cut short by the Punjab CM after he put forward the demand of a death sentence for the criminal. During Tuesday’s televised conference, Amin had shown gratitude to the Punjab government, law enforcement agencies, courts and the military in investigating the case in the most professional manner. He had acknowledged the fact that the criminal was brought to justice through the collective efforts of everyone involved with the case.
Amin also claimed that before the start of the press conference, he had handed over a list of demands to Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, including urging the government to enforce measures that would prevent child abduction and rape in Kasur. However, he claimed that Sanaullah advised him to drop all other demands during the presser except the demand calling for the public hanging of the accused.
Pre-conference footage had also surfaced where the provincial law minister was seen instructing Amin on what he could and could not say in front of the public. The minister could be heard instructing Zainab’s father in Punjabi language and assuring him that his demands could be discussed in a separate meeting.
This is not the first time that Kasur had made it to frontpage news as the city also gained nation-wide attention in 2015 after authorities unearthed an organised paedophilia ring in the city. A group of men was found involved in incidents of sexual abuse against 280 children on video and later threatened to leak the footage if the families of the children failed to pay them.
