RAWALPINDI: More than 100 violent protesters were arrested in Rawalpindi as police used tear gas to disperse students demonstrating against the alleged rape of a Lahore student.
Last week, reports related to the alleged rape of the private college student went viral on social media, prompting the police to arrest a security guard at the college who was allegedly involved in the incident.
Enraged by the alleged incident, students mobilised on social media and staged protests outside the Punjab Group of Colleges campuses in Rawalpindi. The enraged students broke down the college gate in Dhok Ghamial and ransacked the building.
Violent protests erupted in several parts of Rawalpindi, including 6th Road, Khanna Pul, and Morgah, where demonstrators set fire to furniture, tyres, and other objects outside educational campuses.
In response to stone-pelting by the angry students, police resorted to baton charge and tear gas shelling. The unrest led to severe traffic congestion on key roads, including Murree Road, 6th Road, Peshawar Road, Jhelum Road, and surrounding areas.
The protesters attacked the Khanna Pul campus, shattering windows of buses and cars parked inside. Items from the college library were reportedly taken out and set on fire on the service road adjacent to the Expressway.
The situation caused chaos, leaving teachers, staff, and students trapped inside the campuses as the violence continued.
The police have taken 150 protesters into custody for disturbing public order. Further identification of those involved is ongoing with the help of video footage and human intelligence.
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Rawalpindi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operation Hafiz Kamran Asghar said around 150 violent protesters had been arrested, adding that the situation was now completely under control.
SSP Asghar said that they did not want to arrest students, however, if anyone tried to take the law into their hands under the guise of protests, legal action would be taken against them.
“All the angles of the protest are being investigated,” the SSP said, adding that a heavy contingent of police has been deployed on the main roads outside the colleges in different areas of the city.
“All the closed roads have also been opened,” SSP Asghar added.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has declared that the alleged rape was “fabricated news”, blaming the PTI for spreading the “fake reports” on social media. Punjab Group of Colleges (PGC) group Director Agha Tahir and other office-holders have termed the incident “baseless”.