MARDAN: The Joint Investigation Team (JIT), formed to probe Mashal Khan’s lynching incident at Abdul Wali Khan University (AWKU), in its report made startling revelations that the cold-blooded murder of a 23-year-old journalism student was carried out under a well-planned plot while ruling out the victim’s involvement in publishing blasphemous content, ARY News reported on Sunday.
Pakhtun Student Federation’s president and an employee of the Abdul Wali Khan University had plotted to eliminate Mashal Khan for his activism at AWKU a month before the lynching incident as his active participation and ideas were becoming a threat for the student federation to sustain its position, revealed the JIT report available with ARY News.
Mashal, 23, a student at the university’s Mass Communication department was beaten and shot to death on April 13 by an unruly mob instigated by rumours of his committing blasphemy by posting sacrilegious content online.
The report revealed that nothing was found to substantiate the blasphemy charges against the slain student and his other two companions. “A group of people instigated the mob against him by accusing him of committing blasphemy”, said in the JIT report.
Before he succumbed to his wounds, Mashal talked to a hostel warden, telling him that he was a Muslim while uttering the first Kalima and beseeching him to take him to a hospital, the JIT report added.
It also questioned the role of the police in quelling the violence, saying it did not spring into action to prevent the loss of life. Those responsible should be identified and taken to task, the JIT suggested.
It said the lynching victim was outspoken about irregularities committed by the university administration, more particularly the appointments of incompetent and unqualified persons on political basis, adding that the culture of drugs and bringing weapons were a norm at the university.
The JIT unveiled that various employees of the varsity were holding criminal record, thus they should be subjected to an investigation. It added out of 57, 54 culprits had been put behind bars.
