In a sensational development, at least 250 protesters were rounded up in Rawalpindi when police clashed with student protesters who took to the streets protesting against the alleged rape of a student by a teacher in Lahore. The situation snowballed in no time as security forces resorted to tear gas to quell the unrest, causing injuries and clashes in several cities of Punjab.
A social media storm erupted last week over allegations that a student of a private college in Lahore was raped. The details of the alleged incident led to the arrest of a security guard from the college reported to have been linked with the incident. The news triggered widescale outrage on social media, mobilizing students to organize demonstrations outside several colleges in Lahore. On Monday, at least 27 protesters were injured during violent confrontations with police and security guards.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz labeled the claims “fake news” and said that the PTI party was trying to create mayhem by spreading such misinformation. Officials, including PGC Director Agha Tahir, claimed that the incident was “baseless,” urging the people to dismiss the allegations.
Speaking to the media, Rawalpindi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Hafiz Kamran Asghar confirmed that about 150 “violent protesters” had been arrested to regain control. “The situation is now fully under control,” he said. SSP Asghar pointed out that the police’s aim was not to question students but said that if anyone tried to do something illegal in the name of protest, they would be dealt with strictly but within the boundaries of the law.
“All aspects of the protest are under investigation,” SSP Asghar added, saying that considerable police presence had been deployed on major roads close to educational institutions all over the city. The areas had been reopened that were blocked prior and police patrols continue ensuring peace in the affected areas.
The official statement of the Rawalpindi Police on their social media account declared its readiness to handle any breach of law and order, urging parents to keep their children away from unlawful activity to prevent possibly damaging legal consequences.
Meanwhile, students from Barani University in Rawalpindi took over the campuses to exercise their individual opinions and follow the lead of the larger protest. The police official, Sajjad Al Hasan, said that preliminary investigation showed none of the detenus were connected to any of the existing student organizations. He said 100 more have been detained.
Protests soon mushroomed in other cities of the province and students from public as well as private institutions were bound to resort to acts of vandalism and burning down Punjab Group of Colleges, PGC, campuses all over. The violence has recently killed a college guard in the Gujrat district and at least 185 suspects have been booked in a murder case.
In Lahore, students staged a burning protest outside Punjab College’s Campus 11 and started burning the parking area breaking windows and damaging property. Over 450 people have been charge-sheeted by law enforcement officials for participating in riots that led to the razing of PGC campuses in Gujrat’s Lalamusa and Kharian cities.
The Progressive Students’ Collective is the umbrella student advocacy group that led a rally against harassment earlier in the week. It expressed a determination to sustain the protests until the demands are met. “We will not stand down until justice is served for the students,” a post on the organization’s social media page declared but refused to elaborate on what its specific demands are.
Under present situations, the situation remains at a boiling point due to the ongoing efforts of the authorities to pacify the region and address the core issues that drive the unrest. Issues related to education institutions and which have shaped controversy and violence at the center prove that some of the questions regarding students’ safety and the administration’s response have grown more critically relevant than ever before.
To Read More: News