Another accused in Mashal murder case held

MARDAN/HARIPUR: The police arrested another accused in the Mashal murder case and recovered weapons from his possession, sources said on Thursday. The officials said that the accused identified as Izhar alias Joni was arrested from a place falling in the jurisdiction of Saddar Police Station in Mardan. With the latest arrest, the number of the accused apprehended in the Mashal Khan murder case reached 58.

The police officials claimed that one Kalashnikov rifle, a Kalakov and a pistol were recovered from Izhar alias Joni. However, three suspects including PTI tehsil councilor Arif Khan and Pakhtun Students Federation (PkSF) activists Sabirullah Mayar and Asad Katlang are still at large.

It may be noted that on April 13, 2017, a mob of students, employees of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan and some outsiders lynched Mashal Khan, a student of Journalism and Mass Communication Department, after accusing him of committing blasphemy.

All the accused are currently under trial in an anti-terrorism court in Haripur. Meanwhile, the cross examination of Investigation Officer in Mashal Khan murder case remained inconclusive when the court proceeding was adjourned in Haripur till January 9.

The defence lawyers Babar Riaz, Shakil Khan Tanoli, Muhammad Saeed Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed completed their cross of IO Fazil Khan before the Anti-Terrorism Court ith judge Fazle Subhan Khan in Central Jail Haripur. Earlier, the IO had completed his evidence on November 30 where he produced several video clips captured by some students during the ghastly murder of Mashal Khan.