Students from Punjab Group of Colleges gather in protest under the Muslim Town flyover in Lahore on October 14, 2024.
Nukta
Violent clashes between students and police result in over 250 arrests
Authorities close all colleges in Gujrat district until October 19
Students in Rawalpindi and Islamabad vandalize property and clash with police
Protests in Lahore entered their fourth day on Thursday following allegations of rape against a first-year intermediate student (equivalent to a high school junior) at Punjab Group of Colleges' Campus 10.
Tensions escalated across Punjab's educational institutions as demonstrations spread to various cities on Wednesday and Thursday, including Sahiwal, Multan, Sargodha, Shorkot, Jhang, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Gujrat and Rawalpindi.
On Wednesday, violent protesters in Gujrat allegedly killed Azhar Hussain, a security guard at the Punjab Group of Colleges boys campus. Several students were also injured during clashes in and around the campus.
1.8K views · 27 reactions | Black Day @ PGC Gujrat. . . . . . . #AmmarWasHere #pgc #pgcworld #pgcelife #outdoor #protest | Ammar Sadik Butt
Black Day @ PGC Gujrat. . . . . . . #AmmarWasHere #pgc #pgcworld #pgcelife #outdoor #protest.
In response, Gujrat Saddar police registered a murder case against at least 185 people, including 35 named suspects. The case, filed under sections 302, 452, 440, 506, 148, and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), was based on a report by Zawahar Abbas, son of the deceased security guard.
Heated protest at PGC Gujrat
Gujrat police have arrested over 92 individuals across the district for their alleged involvement in violent protests and vandalism at Punjab Group of Colleges campuses.
Concurrently, Gujrat Deputy Commissioner Safdar Virk has mandated the closure of all public and private colleges in the district until October 19. He has also instructed college management to vacate student hostels.
A circular issued by DC Gujrat notifying closure of colleges between October 17 and 19, 2024.DC Gujrat
Additionally, Larry Adda Gujrat police filed a case against several of their own officers, including the station house officer, on multiple charges. This action was taken in response to a complaint lodged by the father of a seriously injured student protester.
Meanwhile, the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing in Lahore launched an investigation on Thursday into various social media accounts and journalists following a complaint submitted by Sadia Javaid, Principal of Punjab Group of Colleges Campus 10.
Despite Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's press conference on Wednesday dismissing the alleged rape as "false information", students continued to protest in large numbers the following day.
On Thursday morning, tensions escalated in Rawalpindi as violent clashes erupted between police and private college students. Protesters damaged police vehicle windows, prompting authorities to respond with tear gas shelling.
Violent clashes escalate in Rawalpindi
The unrest spread to Six Road, where students engaged in stone-throwing and vandalism, damaging college gates and property.
Near Khanna Pul, another group of enraged students targeted a private college campus, shattering windows of buildings, buses, and vehicles.
In a further escalation, protesters removed items from a college library and set them ablaze along the service road within the Express Highway limits in Islamabad.
According to police reports, over 250 violent protesters have been arrested so far.
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