The chief minister of Pakistan's Punjab Province says he has dismissed a provincial intelligence chief and transferred three senior police officers to another district for failing to act against a gang that blackmailed the families of children it sexually abused.
Shahbaz Sharif made the announcement on social media late on August 11 amid widening outrage over the child sex abuse scandal, which locals say involves more than 270 children.
Sharif said he had dispatched the province's police chief to ensure that "investigation is carried out without discrimination and local influence."
Sharif is the brother of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
A lawyer for victims has accused local politicians and police of allowing the gang to operate for years, something authorities have denied.
Pakistani police have arrested at least 12 suspects in the case, charging that they distributed videos of the victims being abused.
