A woman, identified as Sara Khan, was taken into custody in Lahore on Thursday for allegedly disseminating false information regarding a rape incident on a college campus.
Her arrest comes ten days after her initial detention in Karachi on October 22.
Following her apprehension in Karachi, she was transported to Lahore, where law enforcement filed charges against her at the Gulberg Police Station under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and additional relevant laws.
Khan had purportedly claimed on social media that she was the mother of the alleged victim.
The situation escalated last week when protests erupted in Lahore, fueled by claims circulating online that a female student had been assaulted in the basement of Punjab College for Women.
In response to the unrest, police apprehended a security guard linked to the allegations. However, they clarified that no victim had come forward, and the allegations had not been substantiated.
The protests subsequently spread to various campuses in Lahore and Rawalpindi, where tensions rose as police used tear gas to disperse students, who have accused authorities of attempting to conceal the truth.
Earlier, Punjab’s Information Minister, Azma Bokhari, stated that the alleged rape incident involving a female student at a private college in Lahore remains unverified, assuring that a formal investigation is underway and findings will be released within 48 hours.
Bokhari criticized political opponents for spreading misinformation online, accusing them of using the situation to stir public unrest.
Speaking during a Punjab Assembly session, she highlighted that no substantial evidence has emerged to validate the accusations and urged against manipulating educational institutions for political agendas.
She also mentioned that the student’s father dismissed the allegations, explaining that his daughter recently sustained injuries from a fall and called for restraint in public speculation.
