Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of orchestrating a false narrative around an alleged assault at a Lahore college, claiming it was a ploy to create chaos after their sit-ins failed.
During a press conference in Lahore, Maryam Nawaz stated that the reported incident from October 10 was entirely fabricated. She clarified that the girl, who was said to have been assaulted, wasn’t even present at the college on the day in question. “They claimed the CCTV footage had been erased, but the truth is, no such event ever took place,” she explained. “First, they concocted a fake story, and then they began searching for the so-called victim, but no witnesses existed because the incident was fabricated.”
Maryam further noted that the girl mentioned in the rumors has been hospitalized since October 2, and the security guard accused of the crime was on leave at the time. The guard was later arrested from Sargodha and is currently under investigation.
She condemned PTI’s actions: “They took a non-existent event and turned it into a major issue, trying to mislead the public through social media campaigns.” She accused PTI of resorting to this “dangerous plan” after repeated failures in organizing protests. Maryam also revealed that the alleged victim’s mother had requested that the real culprits behind this conspiracy be exposed.
The Chief Minister reiterated that strict action would be taken against anyone spreading false information, regardless of their political ties. “This isn’t just our Pakistan; it’s yours too. We’ve instructed the relevant authorities to launch a crackdown on those responsible for this misinformation—whether they are connected to PTI, the media, or Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s party,” she asserted.
Addressing education officials, Maryam advised against suspending the college’s registration without proper cause and emphasized that justice would be served. “Whoever is behind this fabricated incident will not be spared,” she affirmed.
This latest accusation adds to the rising tensions between the ruling party and PTI, with both sides trading allegations of disinformation and destabilizing tactics. The incident has sparked widespread debate on social media, but the Chief Minister’s remarks suggest the government’s resolve to address politically motivated falsehoods head-on.
