ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of students on Monday staged protests over a reported rape of a student at a college in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore and forced closure of one of the campuses, with police and provincial government officials denying the incident.
The incident was first reported on social media over the weekend, with varying accounts stating the rape took place on Thursday or Friday evening in the basement of a Punjab College for Women campus.
However, the police on Monday said no victim had come forward to file a complaint and the college dismissed the allegations as “false.”
“The records of all the CCTV cameras in the campus have been checked,” Faisal Kamran, a senior Lahore police official, said at a press conference. “Till now, we are unable to verify the incident.”
“The alleged victim has not been identified as yet,” he said, adding the police had also checked hospital records.
The Punjab College for Women said in a post on Instagram that no such incident had been reported to police and false information was being spread online.
The police, however, took a security guard into custody who was identified online.
“The accused guard has been in custody since yesterday, but no girl or incident has been reported yet,” Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said on X.
“If anyone has any confirmed information about this incident, please share.”
— With additional input from AFP
Pakistani students force closure of Lahore college campus amid protests over rape reports
https://arab.news/j5md7
Pakistani students force closure of Lahore college campus amid protests over rape reports
- Police said no victim had come forward to file a complaint and the college dismissed the allegations as ‘false’
- Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari urges people to share if they had confirmed information about incident
Pakistan leaders wish Saudi King Salman well after hospital admission for tests
- Pakistani PM and President express concern, pray for the King's swift recovery
- The official Saudi media has not shared the nature of the King’s visit to the hospital
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s prime minister and president on Friday expressed concern over the health of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz, offering prayers and well wishes after state media said he had been admitted to hospital in Riyadh for medical examinations.
The Saudi Press Agency reported the King was undergoing medical tests at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, with no further information regarding the nature of the visit or his medical condition.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistanis held the Saudi King in high regard and were praying for his recovery.
“Deeply concerned by the news that Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is admitted in hospital for medical tests,” he said. “The people of Pakistan hold His Majesty in the highest esteem. We join our Saudi brothers and sisters in praying for His Majesty’s swift and complete recovery.”
President Asif Ali Zardari also conveyed his wishes, saying the entire Pakistani nation was praying for the Saudi King’s health and well-being, according to a statement issued by the presidency.
Pakistan has longstanding diplomatic and institutional ties with Saudi Arabia, and its leadership has consistently expressed deep respect for the Saudi royal family, particularly in view of the Kingdom’s religious significance and its role in the Muslim world.
