LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Sunday that a judicial inquiry will be conducted into reports of child sexual abuse in Kasur.

The Home Ministry should immediately request the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court to constitute a judicial commission to probe the case.

Shahbaz ordered authorities to apprehend the culprits behind the horrific incidents of child abuse in Kasur and give them exemplary punishment. The Chief Minister also vowed to ensure justice for the affected families at any cost.

Shahbaz Sharif said that child abuse cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. He said that the he could feel the pain of the victims. “Not just as the Chief executive of the province but as a father and as a human being my heart goes out for the innocent who have been subjected to such heinous activity”, said CM Shahbaz.

“Let me assure everyone that every single culprit will be brought to justice and I m personally going to monitor the whole proceedings … Exemplary punishment awaits such beasts”, CM said.

“Those involved in the case will be severely punished. They will not be able to escape their fate,” he said, adding, “The affected families will be provided with justice at any cost.”

A joint investigation team (JIT) was formed under the leadership of Commissioner Lahore Division Abdullah Khan Sumbal and Additional Inspector-General Operations Punjab Arif Nawaz Khan to investigate the case.

A report submitted by the JIT states that six people have been arrested in connection with the case, while three suspects are absconding. Raids are being conducted to capture the fleeing suspects.

Meanwhile, police claim to have arrested another suspect involved in producing and selling the illicit videos of child sexual abuse, bringing to seven the number of arrests in the massive child sex abuse scandal that has shocked the nation.

The suspect belongs to a gang of criminals which has reportedly been actively involved in countless cases of extreme child sexual abuse in Ganda Singh Wala area of Kasur in Punjab province for the last 10 years.

Investigations revealed that around 400 videos were made of 280 minor victims of sex abuse by the gang of over 25 criminals.

Several parents of victims were consistently blackmailed and coerced to pay hundreds of thousands of rupees as they were threatened that the gang would release the videos in public. Reports said families in the locality were helpless as officials all along remained apathetic to the incident.

A report presented to the chief minister on Saturday said six accused had already been arrested in the case while raids were being conducted to arrest the remaining criminals. The latest arrest brings the total number of suspects apprehended in the case to seven.

District Police Officer (DPO) Kasur, Rai Babar Saeed said Saturday that they have recovered 60 to 70 video clips from which the perpetrators are being identified and action will immediately be taken against them.

Punjab Home Minister, Shuja Khanzada, speaking to Geo News, contradicted various statements by police officials in Kasur and confirmed that the incidents have in fact taken place albeit not in the numbers being portrayed in the media.

He went on to say that the case is indeed terrible and shameful, adding that no stone will be left unturned during investigations. He further said that every guilty criminal involved will be brought to justice.