Student protests over the alleged rape of a college student in Pakistan took a violent turn on Thursday (Oct 17), when police fired tear gas and charged at the protestors. The angry demonstrators&nbsp;ransacked a college building Thursday as anger spread over an alleged on-campus rape in Lahore, a city in Punjab province.

Protests turned violent when hundreds of students took to the streets to demonstrate outside a campus in Rawalpindi, Punjab. They burned furniture and blocked a key road, disrupting traffic and then ransacked the building.&nbsp;

In response, police swung batons and fired tear gas to disperse the angry protestors, police official Mohammed Afzal said. Police also arrested 250 people, mostly students, for disrupting the peace.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-eam-s-jaishankar-takes-a-jab-at-pakistan-at-sco-terrorismhardly-likely-to-encourage-connectivity-767948">Indian FM Jaishankar takes a jab at Pak, China at SCO: 'Terrorism...hardly likely to encourage connectivity'</a>

In Gujrat, also in Punjab province, a security guard died in clashes between student protestors and police on Wednesday (Oct 16). Police arrested one person in connection with the death.

Thursday’s protest took an unexpected turn, prompting the government to shut schools, colleges and universities for two days.&nbsp;

Sexual violence against women is common in Pakistan, but protests about the issue have been rare.&nbsp;The Sustainable Social Development Organization said last month that there were 7,010 rape cases reported in Pakistan in 2023, almost 95% of them in Punjab.

<h2>How student protests spread from Pakistan’s Lahore to other cities?</h2>

On Monday (Oct 14), several students gathered outside four campuses of the Punjab Group of Colleges in Lahore to protest over the alleged rape of a student from Lahore&nbsp;Women's College. The news soon spread on social media and protests broke out in four more cities of Punjab Province.

Mauz Ullah, a student at the college where the woman was allegedly raped, said they were protesting to seek justice for her when police came and started baton-charging students.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Pakistan: Massive Protests Erupt Over the Alleged On-Campus Rape

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At least 28 students, including girls, were injured in clashes with the police. A statement issued by Rescue 1122 said that clashes erupted between security personnel and students at the Hafeez Centre Punjab College Campus, reported the Dawn newspaper.

Authorities, including the province’s chief minister, denied any such assault, as did the woman’s parents. But Punjab police on Thursday urged people to share any information about the alleged rape. Sexual violence cases in Pakistan often go underreported because of the stigma attached to its conservative society.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-sectarian-violence-16-killed-as-sunni-shiite-tribes-clash-in-kurram-district-767059">Pakistan sectarian violence: 16 killed as Sunni, Shiite tribes clash in Kurram district</a>

On Tuesday (Oct 15), the Progressive Students Collective (PSC), an association of different colleges and universities, held an anti-harassment rally to denounce the purported rape. The group demanded an investigation into the alleged rape case, violence against students during Monday’s rally and incidents of harassment at Lahore Women’s College.

Student unions have been banned in Pakistan since 1984.

(With inputs from agencies)

Student protests over the alleged rape of a college student in Pakistan took a violent turn on Thursday (Oct 17), when police fired tear gas and charged at the protestors.

Student protests over the alleged rape of a college student in Pakistan took a violent turn on Thursday (Oct 17), when police fired tear gas and charged at the protestors. The angry demonstrators ransacked a college building Thursday as anger spread over an alleged on-campus rape in Lahore, a city in Punjab province. Protests turned violent when hundreds of students took to the streets to demonstrate outside a campus in Rawalpindi, Punjab. They burned furniture and blocked a key road, disrupting traffic and then ransacked the building. In response, police swung batons and fired tear gas to disperse the angry protestors, police official Mohammed Afzal said. Police also arrested 250 people, mostly students, for disrupting the peace. Also Read | Indian FM Jaishankar takes a jab at Pak, China at SCO: 'Terrorism...hardly likely to encourage connectivity' In Gujrat, also in Punjab province, a security guard died in clashes between student protestors and police on Wednesday (Oct 16). Police arrested one person in connection with the death. Thursday’s protest took an unexpected turn, prompting the government to shut schools, colleges and universities for two days. Sexual violence against women is common in Pakistan, but protests about the issue have been rare. The Sustainable Social Development Organization said last month that there were 7,010 rape cases reported in Pakistan in 2023, almost 95% of them in Punjab. How student protests spread from Pakistan’s Lahore to other cities? On Monday (Oct 14), several students gathered outside four campuses of the Punjab Group of Colleges in Lahore to protest over the alleged rape of a student from Lahore Women's College. The news soon spread on social media and protests broke out in four more cities of Punjab Province. Mauz Ullah, a student at the college where the woman was allegedly raped, said they were protesting to seek justice for her when police came and started baton-charging students. Watch | Pakistan: Massive Protests Erupt Over the Alleged On-Campus Rape × At least 28 students, including girls, were injured in clashes with the police. A statement issued by Rescue 1122 said that clashes erupted between security personnel and students at the Hafeez Centre Punjab College Campus, reported the Dawn newspaper. Authorities, including the province’s chief minister, denied any such assault, as did the woman’s parents. But Punjab police on Thursday urged people to share any information about the alleged rape. Sexual violence cases in Pakistan often go underreported because of the stigma attached to its conservative society. Also Read | Pakistan sectarian violence: 16 killed as Sunni, Shiite tribes clash in Kurram district On Tuesday (Oct 15), the Progressive Students Collective (PSC), an association of different colleges and universities, held an anti-harassment rally to denounce the purported rape. The group demanded an investigation into the alleged rape case, violence against students during Monday’s rally and incidents of harassment at Lahore Women’s College. Student unions have been banned in Pakistan since 1984. (With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan: Violent protests erupt in Lahore over on-campus 'rape' of college student | Here's what happened

Residents on Wednesday took to the streets of Muzaffarabad against Pakistan's indiscriminate and unabated construction in the illegally occupied region of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), demanding the immediate termination of the projects that are underway on the Neelum-Jhelum River.

While shouting slogans against Islamabad, the protestors also demanded the authorities to refrain from sanctioning any further projects.

Locals blamed Pakistan for recklessly exploiting natural resources in the illegally-occupied region by building mega-dams and hydropower projects on rivers like Neelum and Jhelum.

While PoK residents remain deprived of drinking water, construction of hydropower plant projects like one on the River Neelum is further aggravating the water-crisis.

The project, which was built in the pretext of bringing prosperity, has deeply affected the lives of the common people, with many of them forced to migrate to other places in the country.

PoK residents have been suppressed for seven decades now.

They are not just denied basic rights but are forced to lead their lives on terms dictated by Islamabad`s political puppets in the region.&nbsp;

Residents on Wednesday took to the streets of Muzaffarabad against Pakistan's indiscriminate and unabated construction in the illegally occupied region of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), demanding the immediate termination of the projects that are underway on the Neelum-Jhelum River.

Residents on Wednesday took to the streets of Muzaffarabad against Pakistan's indiscriminate and unabated construction in the illegally occupied region of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), demanding the immediate termination of the projects that are underway on the Neelum-Jhelum River. While shouting slogans against Islamabad, the protestors also demanded the authorities to refrain from sanctioning any further projects. Locals blamed Pakistan for recklessly exploiting natural resources in the illegally-occupied region by building mega-dams and hydropower projects on rivers like Neelum and Jhelum. While PoK residents remain deprived of drinking water, construction of hydropower plant projects like one on the River Neelum is further aggravating the water-crisis. The project, which was built in the pretext of bringing prosperity, has deeply affected the lives of the common people, with many of them forced to migrate to other places in the country. PoK residents have been suppressed for seven decades now. They are not just denied basic rights but are forced to lead their lives on terms dictated by Islamabad`s political puppets in the region.

Protests erupt over Pakistan's hydropower projects in PoK

Unprecedented scenes of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/massive-anti-pakistan-protests-breaks-out-across-gilgit-baltistan-against-illegal-taxation-24492">anti-Pakistan sentiment</a> swept across the illegally occupied territories of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir where locals gathered in thousands to protest against the seven-decades of subjugation of Islamabad.

While expressing anger over exploitation of their land and resources, people demanded an absolute freedom from the clutches of Pakistan.

Leaders urged the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/anti-pakistan-protests-across-pok-to-mark-1947-invasion-22724">protesters</a> to ramp up their peaceful campaigns citing Pakistan will soon have the authority over all their prerogatives with locals reeling under abject poverty and depravity.

Shafqat Inqalabi, the leader of Karakoram National Movement said, "I just want to ask as to which freedom you will ask for when your water and electricity will be owned by someone else. What will you do when mountains of Gilgit will be given to Pathans and Punjabis? What are we going to with the freedom that will come after the water of Neelum-Jhelum comes under their control and they will have a complete authority over the resources and equipment of Bhasha?"

Suppressed for seven decades, the people of PoK have not only been denied basic rights but are also forced to lead their lives on terms dictated by Islamabad`s political puppets in the region.

The protesting leader accused that Pakistan is hell-bent on destroying their identity and has been propagating a narrative that suits its oppressive agenda in the region.

Another Nationalist leader, Sardar Ahmad stated that Pakistan lies about its own history and has denied the history of Kashmir.

"Pakistan is being taught the book `Mutala-e-Pakistan` which is full of lies. The book is full of misinformation. Pakistan lies about its own history. The history which is taught to our children carries the narrative of rulers and politicians of Pakistan and not the narrative of locals. The history of Kashmir is banned," Ahmad stated.

Thousands of people gathered in Hunza valley to protest against the intermittent and hours-long power cuts that have made the lives of the locals miserable.

Lamenting the novercal treatment meted out to them by the authorities, locals asserted that hefty bills were being charged from them for limited hours of power supply with students and women who required the energy most are taking the toll of the mistreatment.

Singer Abida Khanum also participated in the protest saying, "Today, we have gathered here because Hunza has no electricity for days now. It is said that Hunza is a developed region but we, the local citizens know the fact, and we know what is going behind the bushes."

She further asserted that the people of Hunza valley have been deprived of basic human rights as well as constitutional rights by the government of Pakistan.

"We are not getting our basic rights here, we are not getting constitutional rights and we are not getting all other rights too. There is an acute shortage of water and electricity and all those people who are sitting at higher constitutional positions have everything for them; they have generators. It is an incompetent and a puppet administration. Everybody, especially the students and women are only suffering," Khanum said.

The region, which was forcefully occupied more than seven decades ago by Pakistan, has still not been given any recognition or constitutional status.

It continues to suffer a step motherly treatment. People demanding their rights are more than often subjected to inhumane treatment with their voices getting muzzled with brute force.&nbsp;

Unprecedented scenes of anti-Pakistan sentiment swept across the illegally occupied territories of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir where locals gathered in thousands to protest against the seven-decades of subjugation of Islamabad.

Unprecedented scenes of anti-Pakistan sentiment swept across the illegally occupied territories of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir where locals gathered in thousands to protest against the seven-decades of subjugation of Islamabad. While expressing anger over exploitation of their land and resources, people demanded an absolute freedom from the clutches of Pakistan. Leaders urged the protesters to ramp up their peaceful campaigns citing Pakistan will soon have the authority over all their prerogatives with locals reeling under abject poverty and depravity. Shafqat Inqalabi, the leader of Karakoram National Movement said, "I just want to ask as to which freedom you will ask for when your water and electricity will be owned by someone else. What will you do when mountains of Gilgit will be given to Pathans and Punjabis? What are we going to with the freedom that will come after the water of Neelum-Jhelum comes under their control and they will have a complete authority over the resources and equipment of Bhasha?" Suppressed for seven decades, the people of PoK have not only been denied basic rights but are also forced to lead their lives on terms dictated by Islamabad`s political puppets in the region. The protesting leader accused that Pakistan is hell-bent on destroying their identity and has been propagating a narrative that suits its oppressive agenda in the region. Another Nationalist leader, Sardar Ahmad stated that Pakistan lies about its own history and has denied the history of Kashmir. "Pakistan is being taught the book `Mutala-e-Pakistan` which is full of lies. The book is full of misinformation. Pakistan lies about its own history. The history which is taught to our children carries the narrative of rulers and politicians of Pakistan and not the narrative of locals. The history of Kashmir is banned," Ahmad stated. Thousands of people gathered in Hunza valley to protest against the intermittent and hours-long power cuts that have made the lives of the locals miserable. Lamenting the novercal treatment meted out to them by the authorities, locals asserted that hefty bills were being charged from them for limited hours of power supply with students and women who required the energy most are taking the toll of the mistreatment. Singer Abida Khanum also participated in the protest saying, "Today, we have gathered here because Hunza has no electricity for days now. It is said that Hunza is a developed region but we, the local citizens know the fact, and we know what is going behind the bushes." She further asserted that the people of Hunza valley have been deprived of basic human rights as well as constitutional rights by the government of Pakistan. "We are not getting our basic rights here, we are not getting constitutional rights and we are not getting all other rights too. There is an acute shortage of water and electricity and all those people who are sitting at higher constitutional positions have everything for them; they have generators. It is an incompetent and a puppet administration. Everybody, especially the students and women are only suffering," Khanum said. The region, which was forcefully occupied more than seven decades ago by Pakistan, has still not been given any recognition or constitutional status. It continues to suffer a step motherly treatment. People demanding their rights are more than often subjected to inhumane treatment with their voices getting muzzled with brute force.

Anti-Pakistan protests erupt in PoK, protesters demand basic rights