PHOTO: AFP
LAHORE:
Families of the children sexually abused in Hussain Khanwala village of Kasur district announced on Sunday that they would no longer boycott the joint investigation team looking into the evidence.
At a meeting with Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, they said they would cooperate with the team. The abuse victims, their parents and other residents of the village were also present.
The chief minister announced withdrawal of cases registered against the protesters. “The Kasur abuse accounts are painful and lamentable. Justice will be done at all costs,” he said. He assured the families that stringent action would be taken against those trying to impede the investigation. “Those found guilty of hiding the facts will be dealt with strictly.”
Sharif said he was deeply saddened by the abuse of children. He said he had wanted to visit the families but could not visit Kasur for various reasons. He said he had, however, been monitoring the situation closely. “As soon as the matter was brought to my notice, I sent a committee to Kasur [for investigation],” he said.
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He said the Special Branch additional IG had been transferred and the Kasur DPO made an OSD for negligence. The chief minister said the joint investigation team consisted of officials from police, the Intelligence Bureau and the Inter-Services Intelligence. He said the team’s findings would be made public.
Sharif said the situation would have been different had the issue not been mishandled. He assured participants of the meeting that the government would not let the culprits go unpunished. He said that in order to facilitate justice, cases registered against those protesting against the authorities were being withdrawn immediately. Instructions have been issued to the IGP in this regard, he said.
The chief minister ordered that the victims be provided protection. He said the government would make arrangements to provide education to the children. If need be, he said, they would be sent to schools in Lahore.
A lawyer representing the families told the chief minster they had decided to end their boycott of the investigation team. They would cooperate with team members, he said. Parents of the affected children apprised the chief minister of the tragic incidents of child abuse. They demanded that he provide them justice.
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Law Minsiter Rana Sanaullah; Assembly Members Wasim Akhtar, Malik Rasheed, Ahmad Khan, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan and Malik Ahmad Saeed Khan; the IGP; the home secretary; the Lahore division commissioner; the Sheikhupura RPO; the Kasur DPO and the Kasur DCO attended the meeting.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 24th, 2015.
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