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NEW DELHI: Police in Pakistan used tear gas and batons to disperse student protesters on Thursday after they ransacked a college building. The protests erupted over an alleged on-campus rape in Lahore that has sparked anger and demonstrations in four cities.
Reports of the incident spread on social media, increasing tensions on college campuses. Students in Rawalpindi, Punjab province, burned furniture and blocked a key road before vandalizing a college building.
Earlier, a security guard died during clashes between student protesters and police in Gujrat, also in Punjab province. Authorities arrested one person related to the guard’s death and another for spreading misinformation about the alleged rape.
In Lahore, over two dozen students were injured earlier this week while demanding justice for the alleged victim, who students claim was raped at the Punjab Group of Colleges.
In response to the growing unrest, the government banned rallies in Punjab. The Federal Investigation Agency filed cases against 36 people accused of spreading misinformation on social media.
Authorities, including the Punjab chief minister, and the woman’s parents denied any assault happened. However, Punjab police called on the public to share any information regarding the alleged rape.
The unrest seems to have started spontaneously, as student unions in Pakistan have been banned since 1984.
These protests also come after a woman reported being gang-raped during a polio vaccination drive in Sindh province last month. Police arrested three men involved, but the woman’s husband expelled her from home, citing damage to the family name.
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