LAHORE, Pakistan — Authorities in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province shut all schools and universities for two days on Friday in an attempt to contain the spread of protests by students over an alleged on-campus rape. The closures in Pakistan's most populous province affect an estimated 18 million students.

The government of Pakistan’s largest province of Punjab has banned all public gatherings and closed educational institutions as more protests against an alleged on-campus rape of a college student in Lahore are expected on Friday.

Protests sparked by an alleged rape incident in Pakistan's Punjab province took a violent turn, resulting in widespread clashes, vandalism, and arson across various cities.

Pakistani police fired tear gas and charged at student protesters who ransacked a college building Thursday, as anger spread over an alleged on-campus rape, prompting the government to shut schools, colleges and universities for two days.

Pakistani police fired tear gas and charged student protesters who ransacked a college building Thursday, as anger spread over an alleged on-campus rape. Tensions have been high on college campuses since reports about the alleged rape in the eastern city of Lahore went viral on social media,