Main accused in Mashal case sent on judicial remand

MARDAN: The senior civil judge on Monday sent Mohammad Arif, the main accused in Mashal lynching case, on 14 days judicial remand to Mardan Central Jail after he denied involvement in the crime, the police said.

On March 8, the police arrested Arif, former tehsil councillor of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from Muslimabad union council, as a main accused in Mashal Khan lynching case.

On March 9, the police presented Arif before the district and sessions judge Mardan. The judge handed over the accused to the police on three days remand. On Monday the police presented the accused in the anti-terrorism court (ATC) where the accused denied involvement in the crime.

Later, the police submitted an application in the ATC to produce the accused before the senior civil judge. When the accused was presented before Senior Civil Judge Asim Riaz, he denied involvement the crime, and the senior civil judge then sent him to Mardan jail on 14 days judicial remand.

With the arrest of Arif, the numbers of the accused arrested in the Mashal case have reached 60. However, two suspects including Pakhtun Students Federation (PkSF) activist Sabirullah Mayar and Asad Katlang are still at large.

On April 13, 2017, a mob of students, employees of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan and outsiders lynched journalism student Mashal Khan after accusing him of committing blasphemy.