MULTAN: Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif suspended the whole staff of a police station besides SP and DSP, and ordered the City Police Officer (CPO) to be made an OSD over negligence that led to the alleged rape of two girls in Muzaffarabad area of Multan.

The chief minister reached Multan Thursday and met with the twovictims, the 12 years old ‘S’ and 17 years old ‘A’ and their family members at Violence Against Women Centre (VAWC). The CM sympathised with them and promised that no accused involved in the cases would go unpunished.Shehbaz warned that no negligence would be tolerated duringthe process of providing justice to the girls.

Later on, while talking to the media outside the VAWC, the CMsaid that the situation would not have worsened to this extentand no ‘Panchayat’ could have intervened had the police taken timelyaction in the July 16 rape case.

Even the FIR of the first case was registered a week afterthe incident, the CM added. Shehbaz Sharif said that action was beingtaken against the negligent police officials.

He said that all the staff of police station Muzaffarabadincluding SHO Rashid Thaheem besides SP Cantonment Circle MehrozKhan and DSP Saleem Niazi have been suspended, while CPO AhsanYounis had been made an OSD.The CM said that a high-level team would investigate thematter. The team comprises Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sargodha,senior police officer Malik Abu Bakr, and members of CM InspectionTeam.

The committee would submit a report within 72 hours, the CMsaid adding that those found responsible would face strict action.The CM declared it as the worst case of cruelty and pledged thatthe Punjab government would fulfil its responsibility in a befitting manner.

On this occasion, officials informed the CM that 24 out of27 members of ‘Panchayat’ had been arrested and raids were beingconducted to arrest the remaining accused.

Provincial Minister for Women Development Ms HameedaWaheeduddin, DIG Punjab, and special secretary law and order alsoaccompanied the CM on the occasion.