Protests Erupt in Pakistan Over Alleged On-Campus Rape, Police Use Tear Gas
In Lahore, Pakistan, Pakistani police used tear gas and charged at student protesters who damaged a college building on Thursday. This escalated tensions over an alleged on-campus rape.
College campuses have been experiencing heightened tension since reports of the alleged rape in Lahore surfaced on social media, triggering protests in four cities.
The latest violence occurred when hundreds of students protested outside a campus in Rawalpindi, Punjab province. They set furniture ablaze, blocked a key road, disrupting traffic, and vandalized a college building. Police responded with batons and tear gas to disperse the protesters, according to police official Mohammad Afzal. In a statement, police announced the arrest of 150 students for disturbing the peace.
In Gujrat, also in Punjab province, a security guard died during clashes between student protesters and police on Wednesday. The police have apprehended a suspect in connection with the death.
Authorities also arrested a man accused of spreading misinformation about the alleged rape on social media and inciting violence among students.
Earlier this week, over two dozen college students were injured in clashes with police in Lahore after they gathered to demand justice for the alleged victim, who they claimed was raped on campus at the Punjab Group of Colleges.
Authorities, including the province’s chief minister and the college administration, as well as the young woman’s parents, denied the occurrence of any assault.
Sexual violence against women is a prevalent issue in Pakistan, but it is often underreported due to the stigma associated with it in this conservative country. Protests concerning sexual violence against women are uncommon.
Hasna Cheema, affiliated with the rights group Aurat Foundation, expressed that neither Pakistani police nor the media possess adequate training to handle such sensitive situations.
“They exacerbate the situation instead of resolving it,” Cheema stated.
The Sustainable Social Development Organization reported last month that 7,010 rape cases were documented in Pakistan in 2023, with nearly 95% occurring in Punjab.
“However, due to social stigmas in Pakistan that discourage women from seeking help, there is a high likelihood that the actual number of cases is even higher due to underreporting,” the organization stated.
This week’s protests occur less than a month after a woman reported being gang-raped while on duty during a polio vaccination campaign in southern Sindh province.
Police apprehended three individuals in connection with the incident. Her husband, after the reported assault, evicted her from the house, claiming she had brought shame upon the family.