Cleric arrested in Pakistan for sexually molesting student

A cleric has been arrested for sexually molesting a madrassa student in Pakistan's Punjab province, according to a media report. A case was registered against the cleric on the complaint of the 12-year-old victim's father, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The cleric was arrested on Friday after the medical examination of the child proved sexual abuse, police said. "All measures will be taken to investigate the case on merit, including conducting a DNA test and other legal formalities," Superintendent of Police Rai Mazhar Iqbal, said.

Police is also investigating whether the cleric molested any other child, the report said. Meanwhile, a report by an NGO in Pakistan revealed that over 1,300 children faced sexual abuse of some kind in the first six months of this year in the country.

The report took into consideration the incidents of sexual violence against children from January to June, concluding that almost shocking 1,304 cases had been reported during the said period, Geo TV reported.