Mashal killed under well-devised plan: JIT

MARDAN: Unveiling its report, the 13-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that probed the lynching incident at the Abdul Wali Khan University declared on Sunday that Mashal Khan was killed under a well-devised plan.

It said that the charges of blasphemy against him were unfounded. The JIT report said, "No charges of committing blasphemy were proved against Mashal Khan and his friends." Mashal Khan, who was a student of Journalism and Mass Communication Department at the Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, and hailed from the Swabi district, was lynched atthe university's Garden Campus on April 13 by a mob of fellow students and university employees on the suspicion that he had committed blasphemy.

Later, questions were raised on the role of university employees and policemen, who were present on the occasion, but reportedly didn't take any action to save Mashal Khan's life. Supreme Court of Pakistan's Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar took suo moto notice of the lynching in broad daylight at the university and ordered the formation of the JIT to probe the incident.

The 13-member JIT, headed by Superintendent of Police (Investigation), Mardan, Shafiullah Khan, was formed to probe the incident. The JIT said in its keenly-awaited report that Mashal Khan was killed under a well-hatched conspiracy.

It pointed out that merit was violated in the appointments of employees at the Abdul Wali Khan University as incompetent people were appointed on the basis of political affiliation right from its registrar down to the Class-IV workers.

The report said that Mashal Khan had spoken against the alleged violation of merit and corruption at the university and given interviews to the media about it. It added that this had angered a specific group, which conspired to eliminate him.

The JIT report said the plan was hatched one month before the lynching incident. It said this particular group incited violence against Mashal Khan and his friends Abdullah and Zubair after accusing them of committing blasphemy.

The report noted that Mashal Khan was killed by this specific group to protect its interests on the pretext of involvement in anti-Islam activities and blasphemy. The JIT in its recommendations said that strict action should be taken against the suspects arrested in connection with the Mashal Khan lynching incident.

It said, "Strict action should be taken against the university administration, including Registrar Sher Alam Khan, Director Administration Pir Asfandyar, Chief Security Officer Inayatullah Afridi, Provost Fayyaz Ali Shah, Chief Proctor Prof Idrees, Director Sports Mohammad Farooq Khan and Assistant Registrar Humayun Afzal."

The JIT in its report said that the lynching incident was the result of the negligence of the officials in question. It said that action should also be taken against the police officials who were present at the time of the occurrence, but didn't take any steps to save the life of Mashal Khan. It recommended a probe to determine the role of the police at the time of the incident. The JIT also recommended that investigation should be conducted to verify the credentials of all the employees of the university.

It was stated in the report that 60 suspects identified through video footage were arrested in the lynching case. They included 13 university employees, one outsider and 45 students. Three suspects, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Tehsil Councillor Mohammad Arif, Pakhtun Students Federation President Sabir Mayar and another student Asad Zia, are still at large.

APP adds: Meanwhile, unknown gunmen shot dead two persons of Hazara community including a woman at Spinny Road area of provincial capital. According to police sources, the victim identified as Shakil S/o Ismail, resident of Marriabad, along with a girl was on his way to Brewery from Marraibad on a motorbike when armed assailants riding a motorbike opened fire at them and fled the scene.