RAWALPINDI: Police have arrested over 380 student protesters in Rawalpindi and booked more than 1,500 unidentified individuals in connection with eight cases, authorities reported on Friday.
A large group of Rawalpindi students staged a demonstration on Thursday against the alleged rape of a college student in Lahore. Police stated that the protesters violated Section 144, disrupted state affairs, and caused damage by vandalizing and setting properties on fire, including hurling stones at police vehicles.
According to the FIRs, demonstrators injured police officers and created panic by forcefully entering a hostel, where they ransacked the premises and damaged vehicles. In response, police used tear gas to disperse the crowd and evacuated teachers and staff who were trapped inside the building.
The cases have been filed at various police stations, including Airport, Gujjar Khan, Saddar (Wah), Morgah, and Naseerabad. To manage the situation, authorities partially closed the road from Murree Road to Faizabad by placing containers along the route.
The protests are part of ongoing unrest in the province regarding rape allegations that gained traction on social media, prompting student demonstrations in multiple cities over the past few days. Violent protests in Lahore on Tuesday resulted in injuries to over two dozen people, including four police officers.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz addressed the media on Wednesday, announcing a crackdown on those spreading misinformation about the alleged rape incident.
In light of the unrest, authorities in Punjab ordered the closure of all educational institutions for Friday, impacting around 26 million children and adult learners across the province. The police and provincial government emphasized that no victim has come forward and attributed the chaos to online misinformation. Additionally, the provincial interior department has banned gatherings on Friday and Saturday.
