SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Starting July 1, 2026, SAR no longer publishes reports for the incidents that it records. SAR continues to monitor and record incidents that will be used in the annual Free to Think report. This page provides a record of incidents reported up to that date. Learn more about the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.

Date of Incident: October 16, 2024

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):Punjab Group of Colleges

Region & Country:Southern Asia | Pakistan

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On October 16, 2024, students protesting an alleged on-campus rape vandalized property at Punjab Group of College (PGC) campuses across Punjab province. The violence resulted in the death of one security guard.

The unrest took place two days after police forcibly dispersed students at a PGC campus (see report). In Gujarat city, students and other protesters held a rally before entering the boy’s PGC campus and burning furniture. A security guard was killed in clashes between police and protesters.

In Lahore city, students used iron rods and clubs to shatter windows and damaged doors at the Punjab College’s Campus 11. Students also set fire to the parking area college’s parking area. Similar violence was reported at other PGC branches, including in Mandi Bahauddin and Jhelum, where protesters set college property on fire and looted the campuses.

In Faisalabad, police used teargas to protest students protesting the alleged rape incident.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the violence, the use of force, and the death of a university security guard during student protests. SAR further offers condolences to the family and colleagues of the deceased individual. While state authorities have a responsibility to maintain order and security, they also have an obligation to ensure that their actions are proportionate to the situation, do not endanger protesters, and are not undertaken to restrict nonviolent expressive activity. Students likewise have a responsibility to carry out expressive activities peacefully and responsibly. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, violence and the use of force in the contest of student protests undermines academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources
https://www.dawn.com/news/1865801
https://www.dawn.com/news/1865692/rape-protests-in-several-punjab-cities-security-guard-killed-campuses-ransacked-torched-by-protesters
https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-college-guard-killed-protests-reported-rape-5e5a27d21c3abe1ef813bc80346800e0
https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/pakistan-violent-protests-erupt-over-lahore-rape-incident-properties-damaged-one-official-killed20241017142437/