LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party Central Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira has criticised Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif for clapping and congratulatory messages while announcing the arrest of the rapist-cum-killer of seven-year-old Zainab.

The chief minister on Tuesday night announced the arrest of the accused Imran at a press conference and congratulated Punjab’s cabinet committee, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, IG Punjab, additional chief secretary home, chief secretary, and other intelligence officials including the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI).

“The chief minister holding a press conference along with the father of the victim was a personal publicity attempt by Shehbaz Sharif. It does not suit him,” said Kaira while speaking to the media at the residence of late Munnu Bhai in Rewaz Garden, where he had come to offer his condolence with the family of the deceased.

“The person clapping with the father of the minor girl does not allow anyone to do politics. The chief minister turned off the mike of the father during the press conference. There was no need to stage such a drama,” he said.

Kaira advocated death penalty for the accused and said that such incidents occur due to flaws in the system.

“There was need for the chief minister to point out the flaws in the policing system,” he said.

While advising legislation in the parliament to put an end to Kasur-like incidents, Kaira said that there is also a need to correct the system to discourage these incidents. “Eight incidents of murder-cum rape have already occurred in Kasur. Shehbaz Sharif should look into the matter. The state institutions work only when pressure is exerted on them,” he said.

He further said that had media and the political parties not raised hue and cry, the rape incident of Zainab would have been buried.

Kaira also lashed out at former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for criticising the judiciary.

The PPP leader also urged the judiciary especially the Supreme Court to put its house in order and suggested the government to introduce a legislation in this regard.