Mashal murder case transferred to Peshawar ATC on family’s plea
The case is against four suspects, including prime accused Arif Khan
June 04, 2018
PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Monday ordered to transfer Mashal Khan murder case to an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Peshawar from Abottabad ATC.
Chief Justice PHC approved the plea of Mashal’s father who contended the case be transferred to Peshawar as they were getting threats from the influential suspects.
The case is against four suspects, including prime accused Arif Khan.
The PHC had also ordered last year in July to shift the case to the Abbottabad Anti-Terrorism Court from Mardan.
Mashal’s father, Iqbal Khan, as well as the provincial government, had petitioned the PHC to move the case out of Mardan for fear of a law and order situation.
Iqbal has stated that he faces pressure from the suspects’ families and feared the case would not get a fair trial in Mardan.
In February this year, 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.
On April 13, 2017, 23-year-old Mashal Khan was lynched and murdered by an angry mob at the Abdul Wali Khan University on the pretext of committing blasphemy. However, investigators found no proof of blasphemy and ruled that the murder was politically motivated.
