ATC to pronounce its verdict in Mashal Khan murder case on March 16

PESHAWAR: The Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) will announce its verdict into Mashal Khan killing case on March 16, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

The court after hearing arguments from both sides reserved its verdict.

As many as 46 witnesses and father of Mashal have already recorded their statements in the case.

Mashal, 23, a student at Abdul Wali Khan University (AWKU) in Mardan, was beaten and shot to death on April 13 in 2017, by an unruly mob instigated by rumours that he had committed blasphemy by posting sacrilegious content online.

On February 7, last year, a Haripur Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) had awarded two death sentences to the shooter — Imran Ali, five persons multiple terms of life imprisonment, and 25 others jail sentences.

Convict Imran was found guilty of firing shots at the victim student from his pistol, which led to his death.

He had also confessed to the crime before the court.

On February 27, the PHC’s Abbottabad circuit bench had suspended the multi-year sentences handed to the 25 — against which the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government and Mashal’s family had filed review petitions.

Nearly 50 prosecution witnesses testified against the suspects during the course of the hearing conducted inside Haripur Central Jail.

The prosecution charged 61 people in the case, while 57 of them were arrested and produced before the court for trial.