Mashal murder case: Court orders immediate release of 25 accused

Mashal Khan was murdered on the fall pretext of blasphemy allegations. Photo: Geo News file ABBOTTABAD: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday ordered the immediate release of 25 accused in the Mashal Khan murder case. Mashal Khan, 23, a student of mass communications at Mardan's Abdul Wali Khan University, was lynched on the false pretext of blasphemy last year. A division bench of the court, including Justice Lal Jan Khattak and Justice Syed Atiq, approved the bail plea of the 25 accused, who were sentenced to imprisonment of three to four years. Mashal Khan?s father files appeals against ATC verdict Iqbal Khan has demanded further punishment for accused Mashal's father had earlier filed an appeal in the Peshawar High Court against the decision of an anti-terrorism court, demanding further punishment for the accused. According to the deceased?s father Iqbal Khan, the five accused who were sentenced to life imprisonment should be put on death row. He had also appealed to the Peshawar High Court to increase the punishment of those sentenced to four-year jail sentences. Twenty-five accused in the case were awarded sentences of four years each, while 26 suspects were acquitted by the court for lack of evidence. Mashal was brutally beaten and shot dead at the over allegations of blasphemy in April 2017, after which a 13-member joint investigation team (JIT) was formed to probe the case. The JIT revealed in its report in June 2017 that members of the Pakhtoon Students Federation, the student wing of the Awami National Party, incited the mob to kill Mashal on the pretext of blasphemy. The report stated the murder was premeditated as the group was threatened by Mashal's activities because he would raise his voice against irregularities at his university. The 26 accused released by the anti-terrorism court received a 'hero's welcome' in their native town of Swabi and Mardan.