Remembering Kasur victim: Govt renames school in memory of Zainab

F.P. Report

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to rename a school in remembrance of Zainab who was brutally raped and murdered in Kasur last month.

An announcement to rename the school was made by Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed.

During a seminar to mark Child Protection Day in Punjab, Mashhood said that the school would be called “Government Zainab Fatima Girls School Kasur”. “Children can guarantee a strong Pakistan. They are the assets and the future of any nation. Protecting their rights guarantees a bright future,” stressed Mashhood.

The minister said the Punjab chief minister had ordered that session to be held in public schools to educate children on how to protect themselves from sexual assault.

According to Punjab Minister for Women Development Hamida Wahiuddin: “Their security, education and secure upbringing are collective responsibility. A booklet has been introduced by the Punjab government to raise public awareness about the protection of children. This booklet has been arranged in consultation with all the departments concerned and it is expected to help promote awareness to save children and students from unscrupulous elements. Necessary instructions have also been given in the booklet for parents and teachers.”

Zainab was abducted on January 4 from Kasur’s Kot Road area. Five days after her disappearance, she was found raped, dead and buried in a garbage dump on Jan 9.

Zainab’s rape and murder shattered the entire nation, triggering widespread public outrage with people from all walks of life demanding an exemplary capital punishment for the perpetrator. Violent protests had erupted in the Kasur city following the incident, resulting in the death of two people in police firing outside DC office. The murderer was eventually arrested on January 23 after frantic police search. The incident blew the lid on the horrifying reality of how children in a brutalized society are vulnerable to sexual abuse.