A high-level committee established to investigate an incident at Punjab College in Lahore has completed its report, recommending strategies to stop spreading fake news on social media.
The committee, which includes the Chief Secretary of Punjab, the Advocate General of Punjab, and the Secretaries of Interior, Higher Education, and Special Education, emphasized the importance of teaching students to discern between beneficial and harmful activities.
The report highlighted the necessity of combating hate speech and misinformation online, urging influencers and vloggers to foster positivity and counteract detrimental content. It also called for additional investigations into alleged hate speech and fraudulent social media accounts, underscoring the importance of responsible social media engagement and heightened vigilance to prevent similar future occurrences.
Previously, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) charged 20 individuals, including journalists and social media activists, with spreading false information and tarnishing the reputation of a private college in Lahore in connection with a purported ‘rape’ case.
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Saadia Javed, the college principal, initiated the case after reporting that the accused had conducted a harmful social media campaign against the institution. The First Information Report (FIR) revealed that investigations found no evidence supporting the claims of rape or even the existence of the alleged victim. According to the FIR, “The accused incited unrest among students with their unfounded allegations,” further supported by CCTV footage and testimonies from security personnel.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, addressing a press conference in Lahore, definitively refuted the rumours of campus rape, labelling it a “fabricated story” aimed at misleading and agitating students via social media. She denounced the rumours as deliberately spread to damage the government’s image.
Following the widespread circulation of the alleged rape news last week, police arrested a security guard from the college and confirmed that they were detaining and investigating the suspect.
Maryam Nawaz also accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of propagating these rumours for political gain, stating, “The girl is not a rape victim, but a victim of malicious politics and conspiracy.”
