Amid violent protests over the alleged rape of a female student at Campus 10 of Punjab Group of Colleges (PGC) in Lahore, the institute has released an official statement rubbishing all claims regarding the incident.
“We would like to address the recent false claims circulating on social media regarding an alleged incident at one of the campuses of Punjab Colleges.
Following a thorough and impartial investigation by law enforcement authorities, we can confirm that no such incident has been reported to the police or our campus administration, and no student, parent, or guardian has raised concerns,” said a statement issued on Monday by PGC.
The statement said that despite the lack of credible evidence supporting these allegations, “We remain fully committed to transparency and will continue to work closely with the authorities to ensure a fair and thorough process.”
“At Punjab Group of Colleges, the safety and well-being of our students and staff are of the utmost importance. We have implemented strict security protocols that are continuously monitored and updated to ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone on campus.”
In the statement, the college also urged its students, parents, and the wider community to avoid following or sharing “news from unverified channels”, as it may cause confusion or unnecessary concern.
According to earlier reports, a first-year student at PGC Campus 10 was allegedly raped by a security guard named Aun in the college basement last week. The incident occurred when the student was accidentally locked in the basement during lunch break.
“Her cries for help were heard by a male teacher, leading to her discovery. The guard fled the scene and went into hiding,” read a social media post that went viral, prompting strong reactions from students of PGC as well as the general public.
The guard also had a history of inappropriate behavior towards female staff members, the post had claimed, as netizens sought action against the accused and demanded better security for students across both government and private education institutions.
On Sunday, growing demands for the provision of justice to the victim also led to the arrest of the suspect.
In a statement, Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Faisal Kamran said a special team was formed to nab the suspect and investigate the matter further. He, however, said that the reports of the incident were only circulating on social media, and neither the victim nor her family had yet come forward.
An FIR [First Information Report] related to the incident has not yet been registered, the statement said, adding that neither the relevant police station, 15 police helpline, nor the college administration had received any report of the incident.
The spokesperson suggested that the unconfirmed reports on social media may be an attempt to “damage the reputation of the college”, requesting that the public refrain from commenting on social media until the facts are revealed.
“The suspect is being interrogated to verify the social media news,” the statement said, adding that despite the incident going viral on social media, no evidence had yet emerged regarding the incident.
Journalist Umar Cheema shared on X (formerly Twitter) that a girl’s father visited the police station with her X-ray reports, claiming that she had stopped attending school due to a bone fracture.
Protests turn violent
Meanwhile, with reports of the incident spreading like wildfire, students from different campuses of PGC took to the roads on Monday, demanding justice for the victim.
According to social media reports, the students were met with heavy resistance from Punjab Police.
A viral video also showed students pelting stones at police officials who had arrived at Campus 10 to meet with the college administration.
Unconfirmed reports also claimed at least 27 were injured when police baton-charged the protesting students.
The rescue team said the wounded students were provided medical treatment.
Notably, the registration of the college was suspended till further orders.
As the SCO summit draws nearer, terrorist attacks across the country have ratched up, with at least 20 miners killed and seven injured in an attack by unknown armed militants on a small private coal mine in the Duki area of the troubled province last night.
In August, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) conducted a series of well-coordinated terrorist attacks across the province, which claimed at least 50 lives.
In today’s attack, labourers were attacked with rockets and grenades, according to the local police.
Duki District Council Chairman Khairullah Nasir confirmed that the attackers set fire to atleast ten coal engines and machinery.
Furthermore, Duki Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kaleemullah Kakar told Dawn News that the victims belonged to various regions of Pakistan, as well as Afghanistan.
More than 13 members of the same family were poisoned by a girl with the help of her love interest on August 17, reveals a BBC Urdu report. The incident happened in the village of Keti Pir Pagara in the Sindh region, where a family suddenly became ill after eating food and fainted one by one.
The police was able to arrest the girl after a hectic investigation.
The incident
Relatives of the family took all the victims to the hospital as they suspected food poisoning.
The report reveals that the incident happened while a flood-like situation arose in Keti Pir Pagara after monsoon rains and the family’s village was also surrounded by water.
30-year-old Ghulam Asghar and 10-year-old Dildar died during treatment. The next day, seven more people died, and within a few days, the number reached 13.
Khairpur district police suspected that the deaths were not caused by food poisoning.
Although the relatives of the deceased family did not file a case with the police, the police registered a case making the state a party.
Police Investigation
In the initial investigation, the police found out that the two members of the deceased family, a boy and a girl, were alive, and they did not suffer from any medical condition even though they had eaten the same food as their family. This raised suspicions among the local police officials.
The police tried their best to autopsy the dead, but family members did not agree. However, the police managed to autopsy two family members who breathed their last in the hospital.
The post-mortem and chemical analysis of both bodies revealed the presence of two chemicals which are common in sleeping pills and agricultural drugs. This prompted the police to expand the scope of their investigation.
DSP Malhir Pattu told BBC Urdu that relatives refused to let the girl be questioned while the police also learned that the suspect boy also escaped after leaving his father at the hospital. He did not even come for his father’s burial after his death.
Local informants told the police that the suspect wanted to marry his cousin, but his parents were not willing to do so.
During the police investigation, it came to light that the boy told his cousin, “I will bring you such a poison, feed it to your family, then the problem will be solved, and we will get married.”
Confession of the boy
The boy has said in a statement given to the Khairpur police, “My cousin (accused) and I were in love.”
The FIR states that at seven o’clock in the evening, the boy brought poison to his cousin and asked her to put it in the food. The family felt dizzy and fainted after consuming the food.
Police have obtained physical remand of both the suspects for four days.
Several individuals, including a woman, have been taken into custody on suspicion of being involved in the blast near the International Airport Jinnah Terminal in Karachi that targeted Chinese nationals and left two of them dead.
Investigation revealed that six to eight phone numbers were found to be suspicious in a geofencing process, leading to detailed checking, sources told Geo News.
The terrorist was provided assistance from a nearby building, and the investigation team decided to include in the probe those who were aware of the Chinese engineers’ visit to Pakistan.
The blast targeted a Chinese convoy on Sunday near Karachi airport. It was later claimed by the banned terrorist outfit Baluchistan Liberation Army’s Majeed brigade.
The blast claimed three lives, including two Chinese, and left 17 injured.
According to a bomb disposal unit report, the blast was triggered with the help of a remote control device installed in a car and approximately 70 to 80 kg of explosive material was utilised.
Policemen on the run after Dr Shah Nawaz’s murder brought back to Mirpurkhas
The three cops who escaped to Punjab after being nominated in the FIR lodged by the family of blasphemy suspect Dr Shah Nawaz Kunbhar were brought back to Mirpurkhas on Monday evening after being arrested by Punjab police.
Among the policemen nominated in the case, SI Hidayatullah Narejo and two constables, Nadir and Qadir, had run away after Dr Shah Nawaz was killed in an encounter.
Dawn reports that the police team involved in the encounter, termed as “fake” by Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, went underground to escape the wrath of protestors. The three policemen were tracked down by the Punjab police and taken into custody, from where they were taken to Mirpurkhas on Monday night.
Mirpurkhas police team went to Punjab to take custody of the nominated cops and bring them back.
The policemen had kept their mobile phones switched off to avoid being located, but the Punjab police tracked them down after using modern technology.
TLP leader granted protective bail in Dr. Shah Nawaz murder case
Pir Umar Jan Sarhindi, a leader of a controversial religious-political party Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), has been granted a 10-day protective bail by a Mirpurkhas chapter of the Sindh High Court in the case of killing and burning the blasphemy suspect, Dr Shah Nawaz Kunbhar, from Umerkot.
The court granted pre-arrest, interim bail to Pir Sirhindi against a surety bond of Rs 100,000.
A number of people, including police officials, were also nominated on the complaint of Dr Shah Nawaz’s brother-in-law, Ibrahim Kunbhar, who claimed that the suspects helped each other and planned the murder of his brother-in-law in police custody.
Sarhindi’s lawyer also filed an application seeking quashment of the FIR pertaining to murder charges.
The court was requested to order a judicial inquiry into the murder of the slain doctor in a staged encounter.
Simultaneously, notices were issued to all the parties involved, and the hearing was adjourned until October 14.
Dawn reports that Pir Sarhindi led a big rally in Umerkot, forcing the police to arrest Dr Shahnawaz, who later surrendered to the police but was killed in a fake encounter a day after.
The body was then handed over to the family, but when it was being taken to his native village in Umerkot for burial, a mob led by local TLP leadership seized hold of the body and set it on fire.
Allegedly, Pir Umar Jan Sarhindi, Ahmed Shahani, and Riaz Panhwar were among the mob members.
Pir, however, spoke to the media persons outside the court and claimed that he was totally impartial when the violent protest erupted in Umerkot and even tried to stop the mob from damaging government and private properties. He deemed his implication in the murder case as deplorable.
He also claimed that he worked in close coordination with the then SSP-Umerkot and other administrative officers to defuse the situation because he wanted to save the city from a big disaster.
Meanwhile, Advocate Ali Palh has requested that all the accused be placed on the exit control list (ECL), and the names of three police officials have been added to the no-fly list.
Dr. Shah Nawaz’s family files FIR against 45 suspects
The case of Dr Shah Nawaz Kunbhar, the blasphemy suspect killed in an alleged police encounter- took a turn on Friday when his family registered a FIR on Friday (September 27) against 45 suspects after an investigation report was released by the Sindh government.
The suspects nominated in the FIR include top police officials and a cleric.
It was suggested in the inquiry report presented by Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar that the family must register an FIR against the suspects.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Lanjar announced the registration of the case.
The FIR states that the slain doctor was booked from Lyari, Karachi and was taken to Mirpurkhas’ Sindhri area and killed on September 19.
Charges of blasphemy were levelled against Dr Shah Nawaz even though he contended that his Facebook account was hacked. Resultantly, he escaped to Karachi after a violent protest by ‘religious groups’ in Umerkot.
However, a local cleric incited people and held a rally demanding the police to arrest the doctor. Otherwise, the mob will take matters into their own hands, he threatened.
The doctor met a relative in Karachi, and the police team directed by Umerkot’s SSP arrested him in the presence of the relative.
The complainant’s brother informed him on September 19 that Dr Kunbhar was killed in a police encounter in Sindhri at 4 am, with Mirpurkhas’ police registering the case half an hour after that, according to the FIR.
“We could not perform the rites,” the complainant said in the FIR, adding that the mob attacked the ambulance carrying the body, snatched it and set it on fire.
Doctor’s brother-in-law emphasised that his body bore marks of torture in addition to the bullet wounds.
He alleged that the SHO police station filed two “fake” FIRs against the slain doctor while police officials from Mirpurkhas told the media that Dr Shahnawaz was killed in an encounter.
“They were given rewards, cash prizes and garlands by different people at the DIG office,” the complainant recounted in the text of the FIR.
Dawn reports that the case is registered with the Sindri police station on the complaint of the Dr Kunbhar’s brother-in-law under Sections 34 (common intention), 120-B (punishment for criminal conspiracy), 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender), 302 (punishment for murder) and 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code; Sections 6 and 7 (terrorism/punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Sections 8 and 9 (punishment for torture/punishment for custodial death) of the Torture and Custodial Death Prevention and Punishment Act of 2022.
Sindh Home Minister confirms Dr Shah Nawaz was killed in ‘fake’ police encounter
An investigation committee probing into the alleged killing of blasphemy suspect Dr Shah Nawaz Kunbhar in an extrajudicial encounter has concluded that he was killed in a staged police encounter.
The report argues that stern action needs to be taken against those responsible.
The outcomes of the report were shared by Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar in a press conference. It is a 31-page long investigation report compiled after reviewing CCTV footage and call data records.
“Our police officers are involved in this incident […] We are ordering a registration of first information report against them,” the Sindh Home Minister noted.
Stressing upon the suspension of involved police officials, he said that an FIR would be registered against them.
“At least six cases have been registered so far […] no one will be spared.”
Lanjar said that the slain doctor’s family has been updated about the case already and has been asked to register the case. “If the family refuses to file FIR, then the state will,” he emphasised.
DIG Pervaiz Chandio of Shaheed Benazirabad led the investigation team. He, along with other team members, “unanimously” agreed in the report that “Mirpurkhas police killed him [Dr Shahnawaz] in a managed encounter and tried to give it a legal cover but failed.”
Geo News quotes the report that suggested “strict departmental action” against police officials from both Umerkot and Mirpurkhas police who “celebrated” the killing.
Addressing the queries if Dr Kunbhar actually committed blasphemy, Home Minister Lanjar said that the investigation report is based on the encounter itself for a “disciplinary investigation”, not about blasphemy being committed by him or not.
“We have appointed a new DIG and the committee investigating the FIRs will comprise two SSPs from Umerkot and Shaheed Benazirabad,” the minister announced.
Additionally, the minister hinted at compensation being for the slain doctor’s family via Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
Huge protest held in Umarkot against Dr Shah Nawaz’s killing
A huge rally was attended by people from all walks of life in Umarkot, Sindh, on September 25 to protest against the killing of blasphemy suspect Dr Shah Nawaz Kunbhar.
Protestors walked from Tin Talwar Chowk to Allahwala Chowk, chanting slogans against police brutality and demanding justice for the slain doctor.
The participants asked that a case be filed against the police officers involved in the extra judicial killing and a judicial commission investigate the matter.
Sindh police suspend 10 officials over alleged encounter of blasphemy suspect
The Sindh police have suspended ten police officials, including some seniors and seven subordinates, after a blasphemy suspect was killed in an alleged extrajudicial encounter in Mirpurkhas.
Journalist Naimat Khan shared the official notification released by Sindh police stating that Deputy Inspector General of Police Javed Soonharo Jiskani, Senior Superintendent of Police Capt. (Retd.) Muhammad Asad Ali Chaudhary, Inspector Niaz Muhammad Khoso and seven other policemen have been placed on suspension days after the incident in Mirpurkhas district.
The notification further states that the suspension is done with “immediate effect.” Meanwhile, the officers will be able to draw pay and other allowances as admissible under the law.
The suspended police officers will report to Police Line Mirpurkhas during the suspension.
Mother of blasphemy suspect releases emotional message: ‘My son sent me for Hajj’
In an emotional video, Dr Shah Nawaz’s mother was seen sitting with the children of slain blasphemy suspect and victim of police brutality. She related that her son used to offer five prayers regularly. He also sent her to Hajj last year and was a very good father and dutiful son.
The case
A doctor from Umerkot in Sindh was fatally shot by police in an alleged extra-judicial killing in Mirpurkhas, a day after he was arrested on allegations of blasphemy.
On Wednesday, Dr Shah Nawaz was booked by Umerkot police under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code for allegedly posting ‘blasphemous content’ on Facebook while a protest was initiated by religious parties.
Reports suggest that the suspect had managed to flee to Karachi but was arrested by Umerkot police and brought to Mirpurkhas, where he was killed in an alleged extrajudicial encounter by Sindh police.
Although the police denied arresting the man from Karachi, SHO Niaz Khoso at Sindhri police station confirmed the killing of the doctor, claiming the health professional along with his ‘accomplices’ opened fire at the police. As a result, he was shot dead by the police, whereas his accomplices managed to escape.
A day before the incident, Dr Shah Nawaz had posted a video statement on his social media in which he was seen saying his account had been hacked and he could not even imagine sharing anything blasphemous.
The Medical Superintendant in Umerkot District Headquarters Hospital has confirmed that Dr Shah Nawaz was a dedicated doctor who went ‘missing’ on September 12, which could be due to a ‘psychotic episode’.
Before his arrest, certain religious parties staged protests around town and demanded his arrest.
Dr Shah Nawaz is survived by three sons, a daughter and his widow.
‘Body burnt’
As per the reports, after the ‘encounter’, the body was handed over to the family.
They brought it to the doctor’s native village— Janhero — for the burial. They were then heckled by a crowd, which forced them to escape.
The family was followed by a mob of extremists up till Nabisar Thar. Upon returning to Janhero, the mob managed to snatch the body of the suspect and set it on fire even thought the family had hid the body in a car.
Mental disorder
As per the family and friends, Dr Shah Nawaz was struggling with mental health problems and had been under treatment since four years.
His nephew, Dr Shahid, a psychiatrist in the UK, was prescribing him medications.
Dawn quotes Dr Mataro Hingorjo, working as a family physician in Ireland that Dr Shah Nawaz was a “deeply religious person”.
“Academically, he was among the top ten in his class—an intelligent, dedicated nationalist with a strong spiritual side, at least during his periods of mental clarity,” he emphasised.
Jibran Nasir’s take on this
A similar incident of a blasphemy suspect being shot dead by a policeman was reported from Quetta last week. However, the family of the suspect pardoned the police official.
Lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir took to Twitter to share his thoughts regarding the two incidents, “If proper investigations are not made and if any foul play, if found, is not punished then tomorrow any citizen can become a victim and be framed as a blasphemer. Opening and operating a social media account under someone else’s name is not an uphill task. Anyone can steal your identity and make you appear a blasphemer and then your choices are either to die at the hands of the mob or at the hands of an over zealous cop who has forgotten his oath and duty or worse be declared a casualty in an encounter.”
Seven people were gunned down by a rival group over a land dispute in Sialkot on Tuesday. A luxury vehicle going towards Manga Bridge was fired upon indiscriminately by gunmen hiding in the vicinity. Resultantly, a passerby was seriously injured in the attack.
The victims were identified as 50-year-old Qari Ashfaq, 35-year-old Nisar Ahmed, Muhammad Anwar, Master Shafaat, Nika Masih, Babar and driver Saleem who died on the spot.
The passenger was identified as 30-year-old Nadeem, a resident of a nearby village.
The victims were residents of Mari Kalan village, Sheikhupura district.
The gunmen escaped after the attack.
Rescue teams found all of the victims dead.
Initial investigation by the police suggests that the shooting occurred in the Kalrawala Police Station jurisdiction and it was a result of long standing enmity between two groups over a land dispute in Sheikhupura.
A local report said the deceased belonged to Mari Kalan village in Sheikhupura district and opponents from Maluk village, Pasrur.
Notably, the boundaries of Sheikhupura district, Sialkot and Gujranwala are separated from Manga bridge.
The injured person was referred to Lahore by Narowal District Headquarters Hospital in a critical condition.
Quetta police have arrested a teenager as a suspect in the murder of a young boy whose partially burned corpse was found on September 20.
The incident took place in Hazara Town, the provincial capital of Balochistan.
SSP Serious Crimes Unit Zohaib Mohsin told a press conference on Sunday that the police arrested Mushtaq Hussain, also known as Mehdi, for killing Arman Ali.
He told media that the suspect confessed during the investigation to have planned the crime after watching scenes from a crime series on social media.
Mushtaq explained how he executed the plan to the police team. He took a knife and a hammer, hid them in a school bag, and went to the crime scene, where he found a boy flying a kite. Luring the boy with a juice packet, he then attacked him.
He maintained that he did not know the boy and claimed he acted based on what he had seen in the series.
Victim’s father Muhammad Naeem registered a case with the police after which the police started an investigation.
Dawn reports that the investigation involved geo-fencing of the crime scene and examining footage from nearby CCTV cameras with the assistance of Frontier Corps Balochistan.
Suspicious individuals were brought in for questioning. However, Mushtaq was included in the investigation on Sept 29, SSP told the media.
In another unfortunate incident, at least seven labourers hailing from Punjab were targeted and shot dead by militants in Balochistan’s Panjgur district on Saturday.
According to the police, the labourers were residing in a house in the Khuda-i-Abadan area of Panjgur district where the fatal attack occurred, leaving seven dead.
In a separate incident on Saturday, more than 20 labourers were abducted by armed men in the Musakhail district of Balochistan hours after seven innocent civilians were targeted in a different district.
Balochistan’s security situation has deteriorated significantly as separatist elements continue to spread violence and often target civilians from Punjab.
Last month, 23 passengers were identified and killed by the terrorist organisation Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the incidents, saying, “Targeting innocent labourers and citizens is a very brutal and reprehensible act.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab’s Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also offered condolences to the bereaved families.
A man was robbed of one crore rupees in Lahore in a snatching incident.
An initial police investigation reveals that the man had come to Lahore from Gujranwala, where he has an iron business.
CCTV footage shows that the snatcher’s car stopped near the victim’s vehicle. Two robbers got out and snatched a shopping bag full of money at gunpoint. Moments later, the robbers reversed the car and fled.
Geo News reported that the incident took place in the Gujarpura area of Lahore.
Police say that the incident took place on Friday afternoon, and an FIR has been registered.
A woman was sexually assaulted inside a government hospital in Karachi’s Orangi Town on September 22.
However, the suspect was arrested by the police on Thursday (September 26).
Dawn reports that the victim stated in the First Information Report (FIR) that she got her daughter admitted to the children’s ward in Qatar Hospital, Karachi. Her infant was suffering from a high fever. Upon the doctor’s advice, she went outside the ward late at night to bring medicines for her child. At around 2:30 am, a young man grabbed her hand and took her to a room where two other men were already present.
She told the police that the suspects tried to assault her sexually, but a watchman and other hospital staff came to her rescue. The suspect arrested by the police was nominated in the FIR along with two unknown suspects.
The police registered the case under Section 354/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which pertains to assault or criminally forcing a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty.
