Jirga making efforts for reconciliation

MARDAN: Some local elders, religious scholars and spiritual figures have started making efforts for reconciliation between Mashal Khan’s family and the students and employees of Abdul Wali Khan University who were allegedly involved in the lynching incident.

This was disclosed to The News by some parents of the accused on the condition of anonymity.

However, the bereaved family was said to be unwilling at this stage to reconcile with the families of the accused.

On April 13, a mob of students and employees of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan lynched Mashal Khan, a student of Journalism and Mass Communication Department, after accusing him of having committed blasphemy.

Later, Chief Justice of Supreme Court Mian Saqib Nisar took suo moto notice of the incident and on his directives a 13-member joint investigation team (JIT) was formed to probe the case.

On 3rd June, the JIT completed its report and submitted it in the court.

However, the Awami National Party (ANP), its student wing Pakhtun Students Federation (PkSF), religious parties and parents, relatives of the accused rejected the report of JIT and declared it one-sided.

The police identified 60 suspects in the Mashal Khan murder case through video footages uploaded on the social media and arrested 57 of them.

Three suspects including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s Tehsil Councillor Arif Khan and PSF activists Sabirullah Mayar and Asad Katlang are still at large.

Police registered cases under sections 148-422-302-324-143 against those arrested.

Later, on the request of Mashal Khan’s father Mohammad Iqbal, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) shifted the case from Mardan to Abbottabad for further proceeding due to security reasons.

The Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) at Abbottabad on Tuesday indicted 57 suspects in the Mashal Khan murder case and also rejected the bail pleas of 17 suspects.

The ATC is hearing the case at Central Prison Haripur due to security reasons.

The parents and relatives of the accused said that that some elders and religious scholars from Mardan, Swabi and other parts of the province had started making efforts to bring about reconciliation between Mashal Khan’s father Mohammad Iqbal and the accused.

It was reliably learnt that the elders have set up two separate jirgas to arrange meeting with Mohammad Iqbal and his relatives.

Some members of the jirga reportedly met the relatives of Mashal Khan to sound out the family about possible reconciliation.

However, they were told that Mohammad Iqbal was not ready for any compromise.

Some members of the jirga went to perform Hajj and due to this reason the process had stalled. However, they would again launch the efforts after returning from Hajj.