At least 150 protesters were arrested in Rawalpindi as police used tear gas to disperse students demonstrating against the alleged rape of a private college student in Lahore.
The protests, which started last week, have spread across Punjab, with demonstrations becoming increasingly violent. The unrest began when reports of the alleged rape of a college student in Lahore went viral on social media. Following public outrage, the police arrested a security guard allegedly involved in the incident. However, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz later called the rape claims “fabricated news,” blaming Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for spreading “fake reports.” Punjab Group of Colleges (PGC) officials also dismissed the allegations as baseless.
Despite the official stance, student protests intensified. Violent clashes broke out in several cities, including Rawalpindi, where students from various colleges took to the streets. On Monday, 28 people were injured in confrontations between students, security guards, and police in Lahore.
Speaking to Dawn.com, Rawalpindi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Hafiz Kamran Asghar said that around 150 protesters had been arrested, and the situation was now under control. He added that while the police were reluctant to arrest students, legal action would be taken if anyone tried to break the law during protests.
“All the angles of the protest are being investigated,” SSP Asghar said, noting that police had been deployed to key locations outside colleges across the city. Roads previously blocked by demonstrators have been reopened, according to the police.
The violent protests have already spread to other Punjab cities, where students from both public and private institutions attacked and set fire to multiple PGC campuses. In Gujrat district, a college security guard was killed during the unrest, leading to a murder case against 185 individuals.
In Lahore, demonstrators gathered outside Punjab College’s Campus 11, setting fire to the parking area, breaking windows, and damaging property. Over 450 people have been named in cases related to the vandalism of PGC campuses in Gujrat’s Lalamusa and Kharian cities.
LHC Summons Punjab IG and College Registrar
Separately, the Lahore High Court (LHC) summoned Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr. Usman Anwar, Advocate General Khalid Ishaq, and the registrar of Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) in connection with a petition addressing the alleged harassment of female students in Punjab’s educational institutions.
Presiding over the case, the court criticized the police for allowing sensitive information about the alleged victim to be made public, a violation of the Anti-Rape Act. “Was the IG Punjab so ill-informed that he let the photos and videos go viral?” the judge questioned.
The LHC ordered the officials to appear with relevant records and directed the Punjab government to investigate and protect female students from harassment in educational institutions.
