A serial killer who raped and murdered a six-year-old girl is hanged in front of her father

A child, a serial killer who raped and murdered a six-year-old girl, was executed in Pakistan in front of her grieving father.

Imran Ali was hanged today in a prison in the eastern city of Lahore, under the watchful eye of Zainab Ansari's broken-hearted father, Amin Ansari.

The detainee – who had taken his last breath at the Kot Lakhpat City Prison – was found guilty of murdering eight children, including Zainab.

The rape and murder committed by the girl in January sparked deadly protests in the country, calling for the public execution of her attacker.

Ali, then 24, was arrested by Pakistani police two weeks after throwing Zainab's body into a garbage dump in Kasur, Punjab province.

He was found guilty of killing the child. Detectives later claimed that his DNA had linked him to the murder of other girls.

A chilling video surveillance video showed that Zainab had been taken away by her killer.

The missing young man, who had disappeared while he was heading for Qur'anic studies, was later found dead by police in a garbage dump.

Ali was sentenced to death for his rape and murder in February at the end of a trial – before being convicted of the other murders.

Zainab's parents said he should be hanged and stoned in public.

However, the murderer was executed at the prison earlier today after the country's highest court rejected a request for public hanging.

He was hanged before a magistrate and a doctor. Mr. Ansari and other grieving family members were also allowed to testify.

Subsequently, Zainab's father stated that he was "satisfied" and that his family and he had obtained "justice," reports the BBC.

"I saw his impressive end with my own eyes," he told reporters, adding that his daughter would have been seven years old two months ago.

However, he lamented that the hanging was not televised.

Zainab's uncle was also present at the prison, according to Dawn.com, while Ali's brother was seen arriving at the scene.

Riot police surrounded the building at the time of execution, which took place early in the morning.

Ali – who had launched failed appeals against his conviction and sentence – should be buried by his family later in the day.

Zainab's body was discovered four days after his disappearance.

His brutal death shocked the population across the country and sparked deadly protests against allegations of government inaction.

Two people were killed in clashes that erupted after the attack of a crowd against a police station and a government building.

Others were injured in the violence.

In a speech earlier this year, police said they had associated the DNA of eight girls – including Zainab's – to Ali.

They identified the killer as one of Zainab's neighbors.

In a previous interview with Al Jazeera, the girl's mother said, "I want to see him hanged in the place where he threw Zainab's body.

"And he should be stoned." Hanging him up is simply ordinary for him.

"Everyone should participate in stoning, and this thing about four hangings, a hanging, two hangings, what difference does it make?

"I want him to be hanged where he killed my daughter."

Speaking today in front of reporters after Ali's execution, Mr Ansari said Zainab's mother had been left "devastated by grief".

CCTV footage, captured on the day the child was kidnapped, showed her that she was leaving quietly with a bearded man.

At the time, her family said she lived with one of her aunts because her parents were on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.