'Students claim assault occurred, but no one had any evidence'

Students claiming a college student was raped in Lahore have presented no evidence, Punjab’s state counsel told the Lahore High Court (LHC).

Punjab’s state counsel told the LHC on Friday that there is no evidence to support the claims of a college student's rape in Lahore.

The allegations surfaced on social media last week, leading to widespread protests and the arrest of a security guard suspected of involvement in the alleged incident.

The LHC resumed hearings on a petition regarding harassment of female students in educational institutions. During the proceedings, Punjab Advocate General Khalid Ishaq stated, “Every student is saying that the assault took place, but no one had any evidence.”

Chief Justice of the LHC Justice Aalia Neelum criticised Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar for failing to stop the spread of videos related to the allegations.

Chief Justice Neelum expressed concern over the delay in addressing the situation, remarking, “You wake up when the fire has been set alight.”

The protests intensified following the police’s crackdown, resulting in over 380 arrests.

The Cyber Crime Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has also conducted raids, detaining individuals allegedly responsible for spreading misinformation about the incident.

As the hearing progressed, Justice Neelum raised questions about the failure to contain the dissemination of videos related to the alleged rape.

The Punjab IG explained that over 700 accounts were involved, highlighting the challenges faced in controlling content on social media.

The court was told that the girl misidentified as the victim had been hospitalised due to injuries but was recovering. The Chief Minister established a special committee to investigate the matter after the protests led to violence.

Following the uproar, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz dismissed the claims as “fabricated news” and accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of spreading false reports.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari also pointed out that social media accounts of PTI's Punjab studen wings were involved in incitation to violence over the issue.

The provincial government has imposed a two-day ban on public gatherings amid escalating tensions.

The Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) Registrar confirmed that the accused individual had been suspended. The court directed the formation of a full bench to examine the issue of fake news on social media and recent harassment incidents, set to be heard on Tuesday.