Mashal Khan murder case: Prime suspect sent to jail on 14-day judicial remand
Accused Arif Mardanvi pleaded not guilty to the charges against him
March 12, 2018
MARDAN: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Tehsil Councillor Arif Mardanvi has been sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand for his involvement in the lynching of Mashal Khan.
Mardanvi, who was arrested from near Chamtar on Ring Road on March 8, appeared before the court of Senior Civil Judge Asim Riaz on Monday.
During the court proceedings, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
The suspect was brought to the court amidst tight security, according to the police.
Mardanvi was among the three accused of Mashal’s murder who had not been punished last month when the verdict in the case was announced.
According to the verdict, one person was awarded death sentence, five life imprisonment, 25 were jailed for four years each, while 26 were acquitted over lack of evidence. The 25 jailed to three to four years were later released on bail pending their appeal.
Mashal was brutally beaten and shot dead at the Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan over allegations of blasphemy in April 2017. The allegations were later proved to be false by a joint investigation team.
'Mashal case verdict given in absence of family'
The verdict on the Mashal Khan lynching case by an anti-terrorism court in Haripur was announced in the absence of the complainant’s family and lawyers, said the murdered student’s father Iqbal Khan.
During a press conference in Peshawar on Friday, Iqbal reiterated his reservation over the acquittal of 26 accused, saying it was not right to show leniency towards people charged with terrorism.
While speaking about the arrest of prime accused Mohammad Arif from Mardan a day earlier, Mashal’s father said the arrest was deliberately delayed.
Iqbal implied that the accused was arrested nearly after a year just so that strict punishment was not imposed on him.
Iqbal demanded the Supreme Court take suo motu action on his son’s lynching case once more, after the hearing on it was concluded by the apex court recently.
The bereaved father also spoke about the role of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in the case, saying they did provide the family with a lawyer but had not paid his fees yet.
He requested the provincial government to play an effective role and said they have requested the Supreme Court for five lawyers to take the case forward.
Mashal's family and the provincial government have also challenged the ATC verdict against the 'light' punishment of some accused and acquittal of others.
