PESHAWAR— Five years ago, today, Mashal Khan, a 23 year old student of Mardan’s Abdul Wali Khan University was lynched by a mob of religious extremists over false blasphemy allegations.
Later, In June 2017, a 13-member joint investigation team concluded that the blasphemy charges against Mashal Khan, student of the Mass Communication, were unfounded and were used as a pretext to incite a mob against him. The team also said that his murder was the result of a well-planned conspiracy.
Today social media remembered the brave Mashal Khan and paid him glowing tribute him.
Former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s granddaughter Fatima Bhutto while remembering the slain said, “Five years ago shaheed Mashal Khan was lynched.”
Five years ago shaheed Mashal Khan was lynched. “He was the kind of a person this society can never tolerate,” his father said. “You can call him a revolutionary, reformist, humanist, whatever, but he wasn’t a conservative person. My son was a voice of the voiceless.” pic.twitter.com/eNieKyhfTI
— fatima bhutto (@fbhutto) April 13, 2022
She quoted Mashal’s father and further wrote on Twitter, “He was the kind of a person this society can never tolerate,” his father said. “You can call him a revolutionary, reformist, humanist, whatever, but he wasn’t a conservative person. My son was a voice of the voiceless.”
Social Media activist Ali Raza has shared a video of Mashal on his twitter account with a caption that His crime was that he challenged the administration of his university. In this last interview and he was lynched under blasphemy. What chance do we hold to hold establishment accountable?
Today marks the death anniversary of Mashal Khan.
His crime was that he challenged the administration of his university in this last interview and he was lynched under blasphemy.
What chance do we hold to hold establishment accountable?
The fight continues! #MashalKhan pic.twitter.com/8y4CyEhOhn— Ali Raza (@alirazaoff) April 13, 2022
Former Senator of Awami National Party Afrasiyab Khattak also posted a tweet in which he criticized political forces for not building political will to counter religious extremism.
Brutal murder of the young thinker Mashal Khan 5 years ago on this day at a university campus is the epitome of what ails Pakistan, religious extremism turning into insanity. Unfortunately so far there’s no political will to meet the dangerous challenge.#RememberingMashalKhan
— Afrasiab Khattak (@a_siab) April 13, 2022
A post from the Pakistan Peoples Party verified accounting quoting Bilawal Bhutto after the martyrdom of Mashaal Khan, it is our duty to create such a peaceful society that no other son should be killed in such a brutal manner.
مشعال خان کی شہادت کے بعد ہمارا فرض ہے کہ ایسا پرامن سماج تشکیل دیں کہ کسی اور بیٹے کو یوں بہیمانہ طریقے سے قتل نہ کیا جائے، چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری@BBhuttoZardari #MashalKhan
— Pakistan Peoples Party – PPP (@PPP_Org) April 13, 2022
