On October 14, 2024, police forcibly dispersed students protesting an alleged on-campus rape at the Punjab Group of Colleges in Lahore, injuring at least 28 students.

The protests erupted after online reports claiming that a security guard had raped a woman student. After college officials warned protesters that strict action would be taken against them, anti-riot and other police personnel used batons to disperse protesters. Videos posted to social media show police chasing students down and beating them.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the disproportionate use of force to disperse students exercising their rights to freedom of expression—conduct which is expressly protected by international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Pakistan is a party. While state authorities have the responsibility to maintain order and prevent disruption, they must refrain from the disproportionate use of force and endangerment of civilians. Such actions, beyond harming the immediate victim, have a chilling effect on academic freedom and undermine democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://www.deccanherald.com/world/lahore-college-protest-28-students-injured-in-clashes-with-police-over-alleged-rape-3232145
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/pakistani-police-fire-tear-gas-protesting-students-anger-spreads-alleg-rcna176062
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/15/students-in-pakistan-continue-protests-against-alleged-lahore-campus-rape
https://hrcp-web.org/hrcpweb/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2024-Alleged-rape-at-private-college-in-Lahore.pdf
https://www.dawn.com/news/1865270