Peshawar High Court requested to transfer Mashal's case to any other district

PESHAWAR: Mashal Khan's father has appealed to the Peshawar High Court to transfer the case of his son's killing to the court in any other district but Mardan.

Iqbal Khan, the deceased's father, has also requested that trial of the people accused of killing Mashal in the Joint Investigation Team's report be held in the jail.

The petition has been filed by a senior lawyer, Latif Afridi, on behalf of Mashal's father who has made the request over security concerns.

Earlier in the month, while addressing a news conference, Mashal's father said it would be difficult for him to make visits to Mardan from Swabi, where he lives, as most of the people suspected of killing Mashal lived in the latter district and were influential people. The deceased's father feared they would put his life in danger if he went to Mardan frequently.

Mashal, a student of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, was tortured then killed on the premises of his varsity on April 13.

Recently, report of the JIT formed to probe the case revealed the leaders of Pakhtun Students Federation, the student wing of Awami National Party, incited people to attack Mashal on the pretext of blasphemy. The report also stated that the murder was premeditated.