Over 250 students arrested as protesters ransack campuses over alleged on-campus rape in Pakistan

LAHORE: At least 250 students were arrested on Thursday in Rawalpindi for violence during protests against an alleged on-campus rape in a Lahore college as the agitation spread to other cities of Punjab province in Pakistan.

The protests erupted on Monday in at least four boys' and girls' campuses of the privately-owned Punjab Group of Colleges following social media reports that a female student at the Gulberg girls' campus in Lahore had allegedly been raped by a security guard in the institution's basement.

Police claimed they have the suspect in custody, but he has denied the allegation.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has blamed jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party for spreading fake news on social media and said that no such incident had taken place.

On Wednesday, a large number of students held demonstrations in Jehlum, Faisalabad, and Gujrat, demanding justice for the alleged rape victim.

On Thursday, protests spread to Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Attock, Sargodha, and Vehari districts of Punjab.

The student protesters ransacked a college building in Rawalpindi, forcing police to fire tear gas to disperse them.

Later, 250 students were taken into custody, the police said.

The police said legal actions were being taken against those involved in disrupting peace. The guilty would be punished, they added.

"Police personnel have been deployed at various locations across the city," Rawalpindi Police said on X, adding that it was fully prepared to deal with any law and order situation.

“Parents are requested to keep their children away from illegal activities. The future of children can be ruined in case of legal action,” it added.

"Students clashed with security guards of the Punjab College Gujrat and the police, causing critical injury to three students and the death of one security guard yesterday (Wednesday)," a senior police official told PTI on Thursday.

He said Azhar Hussain, the security guard, was killed during the violent attack by students.

"A murder case has been registered against about 200 students," he said.

The police have also registered cases against over 400 students for attacking and damaging the chain of Punjab group of colleges owned by Dunya media group in Gujrat.

Maryam has vowed to deal with the protesters with an iron hand and said those spreading fake news on social media would be arrested.

On Thursday, the police arrested a YouTuber in this connection.

Uploading the picture of a Youtuber on her X account, Maryam said: "This guy who propagated a blatant lie, incited violence and provoked the students has been arrested. As promised, I will not spare anyone who was part of the conspiracy and false propaganda...."

Many student organisations, including the Insaf Student Federation, Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT), Red Workers Front, Progressive Students Collective and Tehreek-e-Labbaik, have expressed solidarity with the protesters.

The Progressive Students’ Collective, a student organisation that held an anti-harassment rally on Tuesday, said it would continue to expand protests “until and unless the demands of students are met”. The post on X did not specify the demands.