Top government officials have reasons to believe that the rape and murder of Zainab Ameen was a one-man job and they link this incident with similar assaults on eight other minor girls during the last two years in Kasur district. "This is a job of a serial killer.
The pattern of abduction, raping and killing Zainab Ameen was similar to those eight minor girls who were attacked before. We have several leads and will arrest the suspect soon," Additional Chief Secretary Punjab, Umar Rasool assured the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights. Besides the additional chief secretary, additional inspector general (AIG), deputy commissioner Kasur, district police officer (DPO) Kasur and officials from the Ministry of Human Rights briefed the committee which met here only to discuss Zainab's incident.
The killing of seven-year-old Zainab Ameen became the tipping point last week when her body was found on a garbage heap near her home in Kasur.
In his briefing to the committee, Rasool informed the committee how the victim was reported missing on January 4 and her dead body was found four days later. After the door to door search, raids and interrogating some 1,500 individuals, all evidences including the CCTV footages were sent to Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) to ascertain the identity of the serial child killer.
After constitution of a joint investigation team (JIT) of senior police officers, intelligence agency and Special Branch, DNA samples of 432 suspects have been secured so far, Rasool said.
Responding to questions from members on how the suspects who murdered Zainab can be arrested in a short period of time, Additional IG Punjab, Abubakar Khudabakhsh did not make any promise.
"We have several leads. We cannot exercise the traditional methods of police torture to extort confessions. Arrest will be made based on scientific and technical evidences including DNA comparisons. We will like to assure the committee that everybody is trying," Abubakar Khudabakhsh told the members.
He informed the committee that DNA testing was introduced in 2004 in the Punjab University. One DNA test costs between Rs 60, 000 and Rs 70, 000 and the final results can take a few days.
In response to another question from the chairman of the committee PML-N MNA Babar Nawaz Khan on the progress made so far regarding arrest of the murderer of Zainab, DPO Kasur Abdul Quddus told the committee members that 500 DNA samples have been collected in the last three to four days. All the intelligence agencies have been engaged in finding the killer, said Abdul Quddus.
Some members criticized the government of Punjab for poor security measures in Kasur. On this Rasool said that the plan for installing 450 security cameras has already been approved by the chief minister Punjab on emergency basis.
The chairman of the committee retorted that the government of Punjab did not take timely security measures which caused happening of such incidents with minors.
After discussing the case for an hour or so, the chairman of the committee suspended the meeting which was coinciding with the ongoing session of the National Assembly. Most of the members protested whose questions were not taken.
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