Recently, a rape case on a university campus went viral on social media, sparking heated discussions. Pakistan. While police refuted the reports, saying “fake newsThe purpose of the protesting students was to incite unrest, which they saw as a rare opportunity to publicly address the issue of sexual assault.
Despite the conflicting accounts, both sides acknowledged the case exposed legitimate concerns. Lahoreclaims girls on campus feel threatened. Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi, a senior official investigating the case, acknowledged that harassment is an extremely sensitive topic and is experienced by most Pakistani women to some degree.
The controversy began with a social media post claiming that a staff member raped a woman in the basement of the Panjab University campus in Lahore. When authorities were unable to identify the victim, they dismissed the claim as a hoax. However, student protest The incident broke out, leading to arrests and closure of educational institutions across Punjab.
Students have been banned from formally organizing unions for the past four decades but continue to protest due to deep-seated frustrations stemming from a lack of trust that authorities take harassment seriously. Many protesters cited personal experiences with harassment as a primary motivation for their participation in the movement.
Lahore High Court announces formation of new committee of judges to probe campus sexual harassmentindicating that authorities are acknowledging the validity of the protests. However, the confrontation between students and police comes amid a broader crackdown on dissent in Pakistan, with student social media pages and online chat groups disappearing and officials pledging to prosecute those spreading misinformation.
As protests continue, women who have shared their own experiences of harassment have found themselves marginalized, as demonstrations sometimes turn violent and are often led by men. Still, young female students are determined to stand up for their rights and fight against sexual harassment on college campuses.
