Mashal Khan's chehlum observed in Swabi

SWABI: The chehlum for Mashal Khan was observed in his native town Zaida, Swabi on Sunday.

A large number of locals visited Mashal's grave and held prayers for the Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan student who was brutally murdered over blasphemy allegations.

A Quran Khwani was also held at Mashal's house, where his family members had gathered to commemorate the chehlum. 

Speaking to the media, Mashal's father Iqbal Jan reiterated his call for the arrest of the 'real' perpetrators of the murder. 

The police have so far arrested 57 people suspected to be involved in Mashal's killing.

The most recent arrested was of Hammad, a student of Zoology at AWKUM.

On May 16, the police arrested a lecturer of Islamic Studies and two students in the lynching case.

Wajid, alias Malang, was a lecturer at a government degree college. Other suspects included students Jalal and Sajid.

According to the police, Wajid was the right-hand man of the main accused in the case, Arif, who is on the run and had also given an incendiary speech before Mashal was murdered by a mob.

Mashal, a journalism student at AWKUM, was stripped, beaten, shot, and thrown from the second floor of his hostel by a violent mob on April 13 which had accused him of blasphemy. No such charges have been proved.