Authorities in Pakistan's Punjab province have banned public demonstrations from today in a bid to quell protests over the alleged rape of a female student at a university.
The Home Department of the Punjab Administration, in western Pakistan, has banned all protests, demonstrations and public activities for two days from today, as well as gatherings of more than four people.
"Given the law and order situation, any kind of protest is likely to be an easy target for terrorists and miscreants," an official statement said.
Protests over the alleged rape of the female student have been held for four consecutive days in the cities of Lahore and Rawalpindi, both in Pakistan's Punjab province.
Reports of the alleged rape began circulating on Monday, claiming it was committed by a security guard at the Punjab College (PGC), a women's educational institution, but both the university and the Punjab government have said no evidence of rape has been found.
"Yesterday [Thursday], more than 350 students were arrested in Rawalpindi" over violent protests, Rawalpindi police spokesman Siddique Hussain told Spanish news agency EFE.
The students claim that the government is trying to cover up the issue due to the influence of the university and have announced that protests will continue today in different cities in Punjab and in Islamabad.
Separate notices from the Department of Higher Education and the Department of School Education said that all public and government schools, colleges and universities would remain closed across the province.
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