Seven-year-old Kasur rape survivor still under treatment

LAHORE: Seven-year old rape survivor from Kasur, Kainat Batool, is still under treatment at a Lahore hospital, her father confirmed on Thursday.

The seven-year-old was first brought to the Children Hospital Lahore on November 12 last year after her family found her lying unconscious with her clothes ripped near a trash heap in Kasur.

On the doctor’s advice, the family took her home to Kasur, an hour's drive from Lahore, but had to return a week later after her condition relapsed.

Batool has been in the hospital for over five months now.

For a full recovery, doctors suggest sending the seven-year-old to England to continue psychological counselling and have a neurosurgeon monitor her.

The seven-year-old is the only surviving victim of Imran Ali Naqshbandi, a 24-year-old who abducted, raped and killed eight children before he was caught in January and sentenced to death a month later.

Before Zainab, there was Kainaat Batool

On Nov 11, at 6pm, Batool left her home to buy yoghurt. But on her way back, a few steps away from her door, she vanished

Naqshbandi’s last victim was Zainab Ansari, six, whose killing sparked deadly riots in Kasur and an outcry across the country.

“Kainat has gone through several surgeries till now,” her father, Ehsan, told Geo.tv, “But she is getting better. Earlier, she would not eat and cry uncontrollably.”

Ehsan said he is grateful to the Punjab government for bearing his daughter’s medical expenses. “The request to send Kainat abroad for one month is now lying with the Punjab chief minister. Once he approves it, we will leave.”

Kainat was abducted from outside her house on November 11, 2017, and was found nearly dead a day later.