Police in Pakistan are hunting a man who raped and murdered a seven-year-old girl and then dumped her body in rubbish.
She was last seen leaving a tutorial school and CCTV images show the suspect leading away Zainab Ansari before she was strangled to death.
The murder has shocked Pakistanis with local celebrities, including former cricket star Imran Khan, joining in calls for the police to act more quickly to arrest the suspect.
Zainab’s body was found dumped in rubbish after she had been raped and strangled
Police are hunting this man, who was filmed on CCTV leading the youngster away
According to local media reports, the girl was kidnapped while her parents where in Mecca performing a religious pilgrimage, and her body discovered by passers-by, in the town of Road Kot, in Pubjab province.
Speaking at Islamabad airport as he arrived back in the country, her father Ameen Ansari said: ‘We will not bury Zainab until the killer is caught.
‘He alleged that the police did not cooperate in finding his daughter ‘If the police would have acted immediately, the culprit would have been caught.’
Her mother added: ‘I have nothing to say, I just want justice for my daughter.’
As news of her murder emerged, angry mobs took to the streets of the country demanding the culprit be publicly hanged.
Later her family and local traders staged a protest at what they claimed was a lack of action by the authorities to find the culprit, with shop keepers closing their premises in support.
Their anger was directed Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Inspector General of Police who they claimed had failed to act on dozens of cases of children being raped and murdered in the Kasur district of the province.
Former cricket star Imran Khan was among those who expressed their shock at the killing
A large number of women joined in similar protest in Punjab and elsewhere in Pakistan, it was reported.
Pakistanis expressed their shock on social media using the hashtag ‘justiceforZainab’.
Among those voicing anger was the cricket star and politician Imran Khan who tweeted: ‘The condemnable & horrific rape & murder of little Zainab exposes once again how vulnerable our children are in our society.
Many have wondered why it is taking the police so long to arrest the suspect
‘This is not the first time such horrific acts have happened. We have to act swiftly to punish the guilty & ensure that our children are better protected.’
Ihtisham ul Haq, summed up many people’s exasperation at a lack of progress in finding the killer.
‘The picture of Zainab’s rapist & killer is clearly captured. Why he is still roaming freely? Can our agencies and authorities capture him?’, he tweeted.
‘Can we please catch this animal and punish him publicly? Can we do something to protect our children?’