‘Try Mashal’s murderers in military court’: Resolution passed on journalism student’s chehlum in Swabi

SWABI - The case of Mashal Khan, a journalism student who was stripped, beaten, shot, and thrown from the second floor of his hostel by a violent mob on April 13 after accusing him of blasphemy, should be tried in military court, his father has demanded.

A resolution was passed on the chehlum of Mashal Khan at a large gathering of family and friends as well as rights activists and members of civil society in his native town Zaida, in Swabi district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The resolution calls for trying the murder case in the military court.

Iqbal Khan, the father of Mashal Khan, on the occasion, emphasised an end to extremism to save “thousands of Mashal Khan” in the country.

Prayers were held for the student of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan who was killed over blasphemy allegations.

The police have so far arrested 57 people suspected to be involved in Mashal’s killing.

The most recent was the arrest of Hammad, a student of Zoology at AWKUM.

On May 16, the police arrested a lecturer of Islamic Studies and two students in Mashal’s murder case.

Wajid, alias Malang, was a lecturer at a government degree college. Other suspects included students Jalal and Sajid.

According to the police, Wajid was the right-hand man of the main accused in the case, Arif, who was on the run and had also given a fiery speech before Mashal was murdered by a mob.