Five held in Pakistan child pornography scandal

Islamabad, August 11

The Pakistan Police have arrested five people accused of child sex abuse after their bail pleas were turned down, raising the total number of arrests to 12.

Meanwhile, Kasur Civil Judge Shumaila Yaqoob on Monday extended the remand of the seven accused who are already in custody, The Nation reported.

The men were allegedly part of a 25-member gang, which sexually abused children, filmed the act and sold the videos in Kasur's Head Ganda Singh Wala area.

The five men arrested from court were Saleem Akhtar Sherazi, a health department employee, Tanzeelur Rehman, a Lahore High Court clerk, Attiqur Rehman, a staffer of Lahore District and Sessions Court, Aleem Asif and Mohammad Yahya.

The Lahore High Court chief justice on Monday sacked accused Tanzeelur Rehman from service.

Haseem Amir alias Haji, the main accused among those seven whose remand was extended, is said to be a graduate. He and his younger brother Naseem Shahzad were remanded in police custody for two days.

Basharat alias Chevar, Faizan Majeed, his brother Ali Majeed, Abdul Manan alias Wattoo and Usman Khalid were remanded for four days.

The police requested extension in their remand to recover cell phones, pornographic movies, memory cards, CDs and ammunition from their possession.

—IANS