Pakistan police arrest Zainab Ansari's murderer

The Pakistan police on Tuesday said that they have arrested the man involved in the rape and murder of eight-year-old Zainab Ansari in Kasur of Lahore, reported Geo News, a Pakistani news channel.

The accused man, who has been identified as 35-years-old Imran, was nabbed after his DNA samples matched with that of the victim, reported another news outlet from the neighbouring country.

Reports also claim that Imran is Zainab's relative.

Imran was initially interrogated by the police and was, in fact, let go without a DNA test, as the victim's family had felt that the accused was innocent and could not have murdered the child.

After the interrogation, Imran fled Kasur and had been reportedly residing in places like Phoolnagr and Pakpattan city.

However, owing to immense pressure over immediate justice for the minor, the District Police Officer ordered that the suspects of the Zainab Ansari rape and murder case be rounded up and interrogated again.

Imran, who was caught last week, confessed to having raped and strangled the child.

The Pakistan news channel also reported that the police officials will soon be holding a press conference about Imran's arrest.

Pakistan witnessed several incidents of protests and violence after citizens took to the streets to demand justice for the eight-year-old. 

In the first week of January, Zainab was on her way to attend Quran recitals to a house near her home in Kasur when she was allegedly abducted, raped and murdered by an unidentified man. A few days later her body was found in the dumpster and the post-mortem report revealed that she had been raped multiple times and then strangled to death.

A CCTV footage from the area, where she was kidnapped, showed the girl walking with a stranger outside her home.

Zainab was staying with her aunt as her parents had gone to Saudi Arabia.

Following the incident, her father had demanded justice for the sexual assault and murder of his daughter.

"We will not bury her until we get justice," her father had said.

This is a developing story.