A five-year-old girl was brutally gang-raped in the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province and dumped outside a hospital, officials said today.
The girl was left outside Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Lahore yesterday after being brutally raped by unidentified men.
The girl, who had earlier been reported missing, was provided immediate emergency aid by hospital staff before being moved to Services Hospital.
According to doctors and staff, the five-year-old is being kept under strict observation.
A rape case was registered against unknown suspects at Mughalpura Police Station.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and directed authorities to immediately arrest the rapists.
The crime evoked outrage on social media websites like Twitter.
"Passionate patriotic Pakistanis who raised hue and cry enthusiastically on raped Indian girls, could U say something on our 5-year-old raped?" tweeted Marvi Sirmed, a leading rights activist.
Another person asked in a tweet whether people would stand up for the girl. Twitter users demand that Punjab Police should bring those responsible to book.
The trial and sentencing of the accused in the Delhi gang-rape case was followed intensely in Pakistan. Asked about this coverage in Pakistan, Zaffar Abbas, editor of the influential Dawn, had said: "Rape is a common issue and a challenge facing the two countries."
Abbas said the focus on the Delhi case was a message to Pakistani civil society many such incidents would go unnoticed if they did not raise their voice.
