LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday established a full court bench to address cases related to the harassment and alleged rape of female students in educational institutions. The bench is scheduled to hear these cases on Tuesday.
LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum also instructed authorities to record the statement of the alleged rape victim from the Lahore college. During the hearing, Punjab Inspector General Usman Anwer, Advocate General of Punjab, and other officials were present in court.
In a related development, all private and public schools, universities, and colleges in Punjab remained closed today.
On Thursday, over 250 students were arrested by the police in connection with the violent protests sparked by allegations of the rape of a female student at a private college in Lahore.
Last week, the news of the alleged incident went viral on social media, leading to the arrest of a college security guard by the police. Authorities confirmed the suspect is in custody and that an investigation is ongoing.
However, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz strongly refuted the claims of an on-campus rape, calling it a “fabricated story” aimed at misleading and inciting students through social media. Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, she denied the occurrence of the incident, asserting that the rumors were deliberately spread to damage the government’s image. She further accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of using the rumors to gain political leverage.
“The girl is not a victim of rape, but a victim of bad politics and conspiracy,” Nawaz stated. Meanwhile, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has taken action against those responsible for spreading false information about the case on social media, which has disrupted public order.
Prior to this, CM Maryam Nawaz had formed a high-level committee to investigate the alleged rape of the female student at the private college.
Father of the girl denies rape claims
The father of the girl allegedly assaulted by the security guard denied any such incident, calling the ongoing protests in his daughter’s name unfounded.
“Our daughter is being used as a basis for protests, which have no connection to her,” he explained. He further clarified that his daughter had suffered a back injury from a fall at home, which led to her being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
