Authorities in Pakistan's Punjab province closed all schools and universities for two days on Friday to prevent protests by students angry over a rape incident on a Lahore college campus.

Tension spread in schools and colleges after the news of the rape incident in Lahore spread on the internet media. After this, protests started in four cities. A college building was destroyed by students in Rawalpindi.

Police fired tear gas shells

Police fired tear gas shells and more than 600 people have been arrested. A security guard died in a clash between protesters and police in Gujrat, Punjab province on Wednesday. Police have also arrested a person in this case. At the same time, the government and police have denied rape in the campus of private Punjab Group of Colleges in Lahore.

Punjab Police on Friday said it has arrested over 600 students from across the province in connection with the violent protests. However, a Punjab Police spokesperson claimed that many of the arrested students have been released after obtaining affidavits from their parents.

'Students are being treated like hardcore criminals'

On the other hand, parents said that the police used brutal force against the students, leaving dozens injured. They said that the government and police were treating the students like hardcore criminals.

Violent protests have been going on in several cities of Punjab since Monday following social media reports of a student being allegedly raped by a security guard at Punjab College for Women in Lahore. At least 50 students have been injured in the protests, three of them seriously. Meanwhile, Maryam Nawaz said there was no evidence of rape and it was a "fake news".

People incited for agitation

Meanwhile, the FIA ​​has arrested Raja Ahsan Naveed, an employee of the National Assembly, Faisal Jat, a lawyer, and TikToker and vlogger Umar Daraz Gondal for allegedly inciting students to launch an armed and violent movement.