MARDAN/SWABI: Two more suspects including security chief of the campus were arrested in murder case of Mashal Khan, a student of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, a senior police official told Dawn.

He said that the campus security chief Bilal Bakhsh was one of the main characters in the Mashal Khan murder case. The other suspect, a student identified as Amir, was arrested in Tangi area of Charsadda district.

The official said that security chief and the student were arrested after they were sighted in a recent video of the incident. Earlier police had arrested several employees of the university while many others were suspended.

Arrested persons include campus security chief and student

Wajahatullah, a student presently in custody of police, reportedly stated in his confessional statement before the magistrate that Bilal Bakhsh instigated the mob that lynched Mashal, a student of department of journalism and mass communication of the university.

The official said that in the video, Bilal Bakhsh was convincing the mob and insisting that Mashal had committed blasphemy. Supreme Court has taken suo moto notice of the incident and directed police to regularly provide details of the incident to it.

“With their arrest, the total strength of the detained persons has reached 36,” he said. He added that some other main suspects were still at large and would be arrested soon.

Officials said that eight arrested persons would be presented before the anti-terrorist court on Monday after completion of their four-day remand in the police custody.

The university is still closed.

Meanwhile, condemnation of lynching of Mashal by a mob continued in Swabi. Speakers in two separate condolence references held in Swabi on Sunday demanded arrest of killers involved in the incident indirectly or directly.

National Youth Organisation (NYO) of ANP organised a reference that was attended by leaders of the party including Latif Afridi, former MNA Bushra Gohar and NYO central president Muhsin Dawar.

Another reference was arranged by Mashal Forum at the residence of the victim in Zaida town. The reference was attended by Mohammad Iqbal, Mashal’s father, and his other relatives.

The speakers said that the people, who killed Mashal, were exposed in several videos. They said that Imran Khan, who visited Mashal’s residence, would fulfil his commitments and people involved in the murder would be brought to justice.

They said that being true followers of Bacha Khan, the ANP leaders and workers would maintain high standard of self-accountability and would take action against those people, who instigated the mob to kill Mashal.

The speakers said that staff of the university and students involved in the lynching should be punished.

Bushra Gohar demand formation of a fact finding committee by party leadership and Pakhtun Students Federation to expose the culprits and their motives behind the killing of the student.

“I believe no one should be spared if found involved directly or indirectly in the premeditated barbaric murder of Mashal Khan. I support the demand to rename University of Swabi as Mashal Khan University,” she said.

Meanwhile, Awami National Party has served show-cause notice on its leader and district nazim of Mardan Hamayatullah Mayar for his alleged role in lynching of Mashaal Khan at Abdul Wali Khan University on April 13.

The notice issued by ANP provincial president Ameer Haider Khan Hoti made it categorically clear that party’s policy with regard to grisly incident on the campus of AWKU was the same for leadership and workers and any deviation would amount to disciplinary proceedings.

The statements and performance issued by Mr Mayar in aftermath of the lynching of 23-year-old student of mass communication and journalism department of the university by the mob didn’t appear in line with the party’s policy and therefore he (Mr Mayar) had been asked to explain his position within three days or disciplinary action would begin against him. The party stood for the student, who was killed by people without any reason, it said.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2017