By Wednesday, protests had spread to other cities, including Jehlum, Faisalabad, and Gujrat. On Thursday, demonstrations expanded to Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Attock, Sargodha, and Vehari…reports Asian Lite News
At least 250 students were arrested in Rawalpindi on Thursday during protests that erupted across Punjab, Pakistan, following allegations of an on-campus rape at a Lahore college. The protests began on Monday in several campuses of the privately-owned Punjab Group of Colleges after reports surfaced on social media that a female student at the Gulberg girls’ campus had been raped by a security guard in the institution’s basement.
The suspect is in police custody but denies the accusation. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz dismissed the reports as fake news, accusing former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of spreading misinformation. Nawaz asserted that no such incident occurred.
By Wednesday, protests had spread to other cities, including Jehlum, Faisalabad, and Gujrat. On Thursday, demonstrations expanded to Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Attock, Sargodha, and Vehari. In Rawalpindi, students vandalized a college building, prompting police to fire tear gas and detain 250 individuals.
The police stated that legal actions are being taken against those disrupting public peace, warning that further involvement in illegal activities could have serious consequences for the students’ futures. Police personnel have been deployed across the city to maintain order.
Social media was also used in mobilizing protesters, as videos of the chaos were circulated widely.
Various student organizations, including the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT), Red Workers Front, and Progressive Students Collective also expressed solidarity with the demonstrators.
In Gujrat, the violence escalated resulting in the death of a security guard and injuries to several students during confrontations at the PGC boys’ campus.
Reports indicated that a group of aggressive protesters, comprising both local and outside students, launched a protest rally and initially attacked the girls’ campus on Rehman Shaheed Road, causing significant damage.
The protestors then moved on to the boys’ campus and Punjab College at Kunjah, where Azhar Hussain, a 50-year-old security guard, was killed. Police registered a murder case against around 185 individuals, including 35 identified suspects, following a report from the guard’s son.
Additionally, at least three students were injured, one critically, when their motorcycle collided with a median while fleeing from police.
The Commissioner of Gujranwala visited the hospital to check on the injured student. Meanwhile, the Lorry Adda police filed a case against local officers, including the station house officer, based on a complaint from the father of the critically injured student, Dawn reported.
Violent protests also erupted in other towns in Gujrat district, including Lalamusa, Kharian, and Jalalpur Jattan, where protesters damaged PGC campuses and stole valuables. College management accused police of negligence, claiming they failed to intervene during the violence.