LAHORE: An application has been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking legal proceedings against Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and IG Punjab for failing to implement the constitution and ensure the protection of basic rights of citizens.
The application was 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.
Riots erupted in Kasur on Wednesday as residents agitated against perceived police inaction over the alleged rape and murder of the minor. At least two people were killed and several others were injured as police reportedly opened fire on citizens holding a protest against the rape and murder of eight-year-old Zainab in Kasur.
They 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.
Zainab, a resident of Rod Kot area of Kasur, was kidnapped on her way to a tuition centre on January 5. Her body was found in a garbage pile near Kashmir Chowk after four days. Initial postmortem report revealed the minor was strangled to death after being raped multiple times.
When the incident occurred, the minor’s parents were in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.
