At least 16 children were murdered after rape in 11 districts of Punjab during the first eight months of this year, according to police records.
Faisalabad reported the highest number of such cases, while police have arrested 20 suspects in connection with the incidents.
According to the police record, three children were murdered after rape in Faisalabad during the eight-month period. Bahawalpur, Khanewal and Sargodha each reported two cases, bringing the number of incidents in these four districts to nine.
One child was murdered after rape in each of Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffargarh, Sheikhupura and Gujranwala.
The reported cases were recorded across 11 districts of Punjab during the first eight months of the year.
Police records show that 20 suspects allegedly involved in the incidents have been arrested so far. The arrests mark progress in investigations into the cases, but legal proceedings remain at different stages.
Challans submitted in 11 cases
According to the police record, challans in only 11 of the incidents have so far been submitted to the courts.
A challan is the police report submitted before a court after completion of an investigation, allowing judicial proceedings to move forward.
Police said investigations into four cases are still underway.
The figures highlight the scale of violence against children in Punjab while also showing that several cases remain at the investigation stage.
