KASUR (DNA) – Seven-year-old Zainab, who was raped and murdered by an unidentified person, was laid to rest amid tears and grief at the Khawaja Sahib Graveyard in Kasur on Wednesday night.

Her funeral prayer was attended by family members, relatives and hundreds of residents of Kasur.

Zainab was kidnapped six days ago from Road Kot when her parents left for Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. The girl was strangled to death after being raped.

Police officers recovered her body from a garbage heap near Zaki Ada on Wednesday morning.

Protest broke out in Kasur soon after the dead body of Zainab was found. The enraged locals took to the streets against the brutal murder of Zainab after rape and demanded to hang the culprit in public.

Police officers resorted to aerial firing when violent protesters tried to storm commissioner office. The eyewitnesses said that two people have been killed while three other sustained severe wounds in the clash. The injured were shifted to the hospital for medical assistance.

Spokesperson of Punjab government claimed that the perpetrator would be nabbed within few hours.

While talking to the media, father of the murdered minor complained that the police did not cooperate with the family to find the missing girl. He said that neighbours and relatives continued search for late Zainab day in day out.

The grieving father said that police did not shoulder their responsibilities.

A First Investigation Report (FIR) has also been lodged against the assailants on the directives of Chief Minister of Punjab (CM) Shehbaz Sharif, who strongly condemned the heinous act and also expressed solidarity with the bereaved family.

On the other hand, enraged lawyers boycotted judicial proceedings at district bar in protest and demanded early action into the matter.

Chief Justice of Lahore High Court (LHC) Mansoor Ali Shah took notice of the incident and sought report from police officers and session judge in Kasur.

He strongly denounced the mishap and announced to bring the culprits to justice at any cost.