Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz held a press conference on Wednesday to address the allegations surrounding an alleged on-campus rape incident involving a student in Lahore. She dismissed the reports circulating on social media as unfounded and characterized the entire narrative as a “fabricated story.” This declaration comes in the wake of significant social media uproar and protests led by students, following reports of the incident that surfaced last week.
In the aftermath of the allegations, the police arrested a security guard suspected of being involved. However, the investigation has faced complications; authorities have been unable to identify or locate the alleged victim, and no family members have come forward to file a first information report (FIR). The police have thoroughly reviewed CCTV footage and hospital records in their search for evidence but have not found any corroborating details to support the claims.
The situation escalated as a video of a girl was shared widely online, with many users claiming she was the alleged victim. This prompted the Lahore Defence A police station to register an FIR regarding the case. Upon inquiry, the girl’s parents firmly denied any incident of rape, clarifying that their daughter had been hospitalized due to an injury sustained from a fall at home. They emphasized that the viral video was a malicious attempt to damage her reputation.
During her address, Maryam Nawaz stated that the entire incident was based on falsehoods and criticized those attempting to exploit the situation for political gain. She accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of orchestrating a campaign to mislead the public and incite unrest among students. “The girl in the viral video is not a victim of rape but rather a casualty of political machinations,” she asserted, urging the public to remain vigilant against misinformation. The unfolding situation highlights the complexities of navigating allegations of such gravity within a charged political landscape.
