How the ‘rape’ of a university student in Pakistan fueled protests and generated widespread anger – Firstpost

Reports of the “rape” of a college student have created an uproar in Pakistan. Students in the city of Lahore in Punjab organized protests against the alleged incident this week.

Several Pakistani celebrities, including Mahira Khan and Sarwat Gilani, condemned the alleged rape at a private college in Lahore and called for justice. However, police denied allegations of sexual assault.

Here’s what we know.

Protests in Lahore, Pakistan

Lahore witnessed protests after news spread on social media over the weekend that a first-year student was raped by a security guard at the Punjab College for Women campus in Gulberg in Lahore.

According to a AFP report, varying accounts stated that the incident happened last Thursday or Friday night in the campus basement. The college campus was placed on lockdown this week after the allegations surfaced.

On Monday (October 14), several students gathered in front of four campuses of the Punjab Group of Colleges in Lahore to protest the alleged rape. The protests turned violent, with students reportedly setting fire to university furniture.

As students blocked the roads, police attacked with batons to disperse protesters, reported PTI.

At least 28 students, including girls, were injured in clashes with police. A statement issued by Rescue 1122 said clashes broke out between security personnel and students at the Hafeez Center Punjab College Campus, the Dawn newspaper.

Sharaz Abbas, a student at Punjab College, said PTI that the police “brutally attacked us on and off campus. Even the female students were not spared.”

On Tuesday, the Progressive Student Collective (PSC), an association of different colleges and universities, held an anti-harassment rally to denounce the alleged rape.

According to GeoTVProtesters staged a sit-in outside the Punjab Assembly, holding signs that said: “We want justice for the victims.”

The group demanded an investigation into the alleged rape case, the violence against students during Monday’s rally and the incidents of harassment at the Lahore Women’s College.

It also called for the creation of a panel made up of independent human rights organizations, student representatives and judges.

Students have vowed to protest until college campuses are safe. “Even if it takes a month, we will continue to come here. Close the campus. Hang this guard here,” said Adeel, an 18-year-old student from a nearby college who took part in Monday’s protest. AFP.

College and police deny ‘rape’

After initially dismissing online reports of rape as “false”, police said a security guard had been arrested in connection with the case and an investigation was underway.

Talking to Geo Pakistan on Tuesday, Punjab police said there was “no victim.” Deputy Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shehrbano Naqvi said the girl whose name was mentioned was hospitalized 10 days before the alleged incident.

“Her medical reports are available, records from the hospitals where she was admitted are also available and information about the way she fell while preparing for school in her own home is also available,” she said.

The ASP asked students who spread “false” reports to share evidence that a girl was “raped.” She said police have no evidence that a student was sexually assaulted.

Police said no first information report (FIR) was registered as the victim or her family did not come forward to lodge a formal complaint.

In a post on

“The name of the complainant will be kept confidential,” police said.

In a video statement on Tuesday, Punjab Group of Colleges director Agha Tahir Ijaz said nothing was found on CCTV. “We checked the CCTV records but found nothing. We ourselves went to several police stations, but no case was reported there,” he said, as quoted by the newspaper. Dawn.

Ijaz said the CCTV footage is with the police.

“The students said that the basement door was closed at the time of the alleged rape incident, but there are no doors in the basement of the Gulberg campus. The basement has an open entrance, as vehicles are parked there”, said the director.

Meanwhile, the girl’s family has reportedly rejected the rape allegations. In a video released by ASP Naqvi, the student’s father and uncle, wearing masks, stated “there was no sexual assault”.

The uncle said the girl was in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital after suffering back injuries from a fall at their home, he said. GeoTV.

Punjab Government Forms Committee

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday formed a “powerful” committee to probe the incident. The seven-member body, headed by the Punjab chief secretary, will also comprise the home secretary, advocate general, higher education secretary, special education secretary, specialized health secretary and medical health secretary.

According to Express Newsthe panel will submit its report to the Chief Minister within 48 hours.

Meanwhile, a resident of Lahore filed a complaint in the Lahore High Court against alleged cases of harassment in educational institutions. The petitioner requested an investigation into these incidents.

With contributions from agencies