Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has declared the alleged rape of a female student at a private college in Lahore a fabricated story, calling it a dangerous plot orchestrated by a political party to incite unrest after failing to achieve their goals through rallies and protests.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, CM Nawaz presented a student who had previously been portrayed on social media and in interviews as an eyewitness to the alleged rape. This student refuted the claims, stating she was not even on the college campus where the incident supposedly occurred and had heard the story from other students before repeating it to the media.
The alleged incident, which went viral on social media several days prior, claimed a first-year student at the Punjab College’s Gulberg campus for women was raped by a security guard. The news sparked widespread student protests, resulting in injuries to around two dozen students.
Protesters alleged the college administration was attempting to cover up the event and destroy evidence. Following the violent protests, CM Nawaz ordered an investigation and the arrest of the security guard, who was identified by protesters as the perpetrator. Police repeatedly appealed to the public for any information related to the incident or the alleged victim.
CM Nawaz stated that the Punjab government had been actively searching for the alleged victim since the initial reports. She revealed that the student named in the reports was actually hospitalized since October 2nd due to a fall and injuries, and was in the ICU on the date the alleged rape was said to have taken place. She further stated that the claims of deleted CCTV footage were also false.
Protest breaks out over alleged rape of student in Lahore
Nawaz emphasized that the girl was not a victim of rape, but rather a victim of “cheap politics.” She also highlighted a video with 3.5 million views falsely claiming the victim had died in the hospital, adding that the YouTuber responsible has since retracted the statement.
The CM stated that she spoke with the victim’s mother, who was distressed and only wanted those responsible for spreading the false narrative to be punished.
CM Nawaz accused a political party (implied to be the PTI) of using the incident to destabilize the government, especially in the lead-up to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. She alleged that the party uses such tactics whenever Pakistan makes progress.
She stated that the investigation had uncovered the conspiracy, highlighting the exploitation of students, YouTubers, and journalists allegedly on the party’s payroll. The CM confirmed that the Punjab government is now pursuing legal action against all those involved.
