Authorities in Pakistan have suspended a police chief in the capital, Islamabad, over the disappearance, rape and killing of a 10-year-old girl whose case triggered widespread condemnation and outrage, including on social media.
Officer Mohammad Imran says the chief, Mohammad Abbas, was suspended on Wednesday for failing to act promptly in the case. An investigation is under way.
The body of the girl, who disappeared after leaving home a week ago, was discovered two days ago in a nearby forest.
Members of the civil society group, Volunteer Force Pakistan, demonstrate to condemn the rape and killing of a girl, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, May 22, 2019. Authorities in Pakistan suspended a police chief in the capital, Islamabad, over the disappearance, rape and killing of a 10-year-old girl whose case triggered widespread condemnation and outrage, including on social media. Officer Mohammad Imran says the chief, Mohammad Abbas, was suspended on Wednesday for failing to act promptly in the case. (AP PhotoAnjum Naveed)
The killing triggered protests in Islamabad by members of the girl's family, originally from the Pashtun minority Mohmand region bordering Afghanistan, and other Pashtuns.
Crimes against children are common in Pakistan and often go unpunished. Authorities in October executed a man convicted of killing eight children, including 7-year-old Zainab Ansari.