2 Sentenced To Life, 2 Acquitted In Mashal Khan Lynching Case

2 Sentenced To Life, 2 Acquitted In Mashal Khan Lynching Case
Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Thursday sentenced two suspects for participating in mob lynching of Mashal Khan to life in prison, while two others were acquitted.

ATC judge Mahmoodul Khattak announced the verdict which was reserved on March 12 and then on March 16. Two men, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) tehsil councilor Arif Khan, and Asad Katlang were sentenced to life in prison.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK83zKPmyFI&t=2s

Sabir Mayar, president of the Pakhtun Students Federation at Abdul Wali Khan University, and Azhar were acquitted by the court. All the four accused had been absconding the case proceedings and later on surrendered themselves to the court last year in June.

On April 2017, Abdul Wali Khan University student Mashal Khan was brutally murdered by a mob on allegations of blasphemy, which were later dismissed by a court.

An FIR [First Information Report] was registered against 61 people—who were mainly students and employees of the university and a tehsil councilor belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkcMJmHOudg&t=273s

The brutal video of Mashal’s lynching by the mob went viral on social media and sparked an uproar.

Following which, a joint investigation team formed to probe the case found that Mashal hadn’t committed blasphemy. The university administration was also blamed for inciting students after Mashal had openly criticized varsity’s corrupt practices.

On February 7, 2018, a court sentenced 57 people out of those involved in the lynching and named in the FIR.

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