The father of an 8-year-old Pakistani girl whose rape and killing shocked the nation accused the police on Thursday of being slow to respond when his daughter went missing in eastern Punjab province.
A Pakistani girl lights a candle during a memorial for Zainab Ansari, an 8-year-old girl who was kidnapped, raped and killed last week in Kasur, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, in Islamabad, Pakistan. Anees Ansari, Zainab's father accused the police of being slow to respond when his daughter went missing in the eastern Punjab province. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)
People lights candles during a memorial for Zainab Ansari, an 8-year-old girl who was kidnapped, raped and killed last week in Kasur, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, in Islamabad, Pakistan. Anees Ansari, Zainab's father accused the police of being slow to respond when his daughter went missing in the eastern Punjab province. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)
The father, Anees Ansari, who was on a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia with his wife at the time of his daughter's disappearance, spoke after meeting with the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
Click to Gallery
The father of an 8-year-old Pakistani girl whose rape and killing shocked the nation accused the police on Thursday of being slow to respond when his daughter went missing in eastern Punjab province.
People lights candles during a memorial for Zainab Ansari, an 8-year-old girl who was kidnapped, raped and killed last week in Kasur, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, in Islamabad, Pakistan. Anees Ansari, Zainab's father accused the police of being slow to respond when his daughter went missing in the eastern Punjab province. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)
The father, Anees Ansari, who was on a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia with his wife at the time of his daughter's disappearance, spoke after meeting with the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
A Pakistani student protests during a rally to condemn the rape and killing of Zainab Ansari, an 8-year-old girl last week in Kasur, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, in Lahore, Pakistan. Anees Ansari, Zainab's father, accused the police of being slow to respond when his daughter went missing. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
The girl, Zainab Ansari, disappeared last week while going to a nearby home for Quranic studies and her body was found in a Kasur waste-yard on Tuesday.
Pakistani students light candles during a protest rally to condemn the rape and killing of Zainab Ansari, an 8-year-old girl, last week in Kasur, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, in Lahore, Pakistan. Anees Ansari, Zainab's father, accused the police of being slow to respond when his daughter went missing. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Sharif, who had assured Zainab's father that justice would be done, also fired Kasur's police chief over negligence in the case, according to a Punjab government statement Thursday. Three police officers were arrested for opening fire at the mob instead of into the air during Wednesday's clashes.
Pakistani students hold a placard that reads, "I am also Zainab," during a rally to condemn the rape and killing of Zainab Ansari, an 8-year-old girl last week in Kasur, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, in Islamabad, Pakistan. Anees Ansari, Zainab's father accused the police of being slow to respond when his daughter went missing. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)
Sharif travelled to the city of Kasur to visit the family hours after Ansari returned home from Saudi Arabia to attend his daughter's funeral Wednesday.
A Pakistani girl holds a picture of Zainab Ansari, an 8-year-old girl who was raped and kidnapped in Kasur, during a protest in Karachi, Pakistan, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. Anees Ansari, Zainab's father, accused the police of being slow to respond when his daughter went missing in the eastern Punjab province. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)
A Pakistani student protests during a rally to condemn the rape and killing of Zainab Ansari, an 8-year-old girl last week in Kasur, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, in Lahore, Pakistan. Anees Ansari, Zainab's father, accused the police of being slow to respond when his daughter went missing. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
The girl, Zainab Ansari, disappeared last week while going to a nearby home for Quranic studies and her body was found in a Kasur waste-yard on Tuesday.
Her murder sparked clashes Wednesday between angry Kasur residents and police after protesters enraged over her death attacked a police station in the city. Two people were killed and three others were wounded in the clashes.
Pakistani students protest during a rally to condemn the rape and killing of Zainab Ansari, an 8-year-old girl last week in Kasur, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, in Lahore, Pakistan. Anees Ansari, Zainab's father, accused the police of being slow to respond when his daughter went missing. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Pakistani students light candles during a protest rally to condemn the rape and killing of Zainab Ansari, an 8-year-old girl, last week in Kasur, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, in Lahore, Pakistan. Anees Ansari, Zainab's father, accused the police of being slow to respond when his daughter went missing. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Sharif, who had assured Zainab's father that justice would be done, also fired Kasur's police chief over negligence in the case, according to a Punjab government statement Thursday. Three police officers were arrested for opening fire at the mob instead of into the air during Wednesday's clashes.
Zainab's killing, which has drawn wide public outcry, prompted dozens of civil society activists to rally on Thursday in the city of Lahore. A similar rally took place Wednesday in the port city of Karachi.
People protest during a rally to condemn the rape and killing of Zainab Ansari, an 8-year-old girl last week in Kasur, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, in Karachi, Pakistan. Anees Ansari, Zainab's father, accused the police of being slow to respond when his daughter went missing. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)
Pakistani students hold a placard that reads, "I am also Zainab," during a rally to condemn the rape and killing of Zainab Ansari, an 8-year-old girl last week in Kasur, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, in Islamabad, Pakistan. Anees Ansari, Zainab's father accused the police of being slow to respond when his daughter went missing. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)
Pakistan's Malala Yousafzai, the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and champion for female education, tweeted Wednesday she was "heartbroken" about Zainab's tragic fate and demanded action against the killer.