HARIPUR: Mohammad Iqbal, father of the slain student leader Mashal Khan, recorded his statement as the last prosecution witness in the Anti-Terrorist Court here on Thursday.

The court resumed proceedings with its judge Fazle Subhan Khan as presiding officer where Mr Iqbal recorded his statement as the last (51st) prosecution witness.

While recording his statement, according to Advocate Masood Azhar, one of the defence counsels, differed from his previous statement that he recorded with the court of judicial magistrate, Mardan, under section 164 of the CrPC. He said that during the statement before the judicial magistrate Mashal’s father had nominated 60 students, police and university administration for the murder of his son. However, in his statement before the ATC judge he omitted the police and university administration, nominating 57 arrested and three absconding accused.

Defence counsel Fazle Haq Abbasi during cross-examination asked Mashal’s father whether he had changed his statement by omitting the names of police and university administration under pressure from police. In reply, Mr Iqbal said that the fact was that the arrested students and those of absconding accused were involved in the murder of his son.

Defence lawyers, including Mr Abbasi, Masood Azhar, Saifullah and Inayat Ali Shah, cross-examined the father of Mashal whose statement was completed on Thursday. The defence side also cross-examined investigation officer Faazil Khan which was also likely to continue during the next hearings. The case was adjourned till January 4.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2017