Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Khursheed Shah on Tuesday called on lawmakers to present a united front against the "barbaric" lynching of Mardan university student Mashal Khan, while MNAs passed a unanimous resolution condemning the incident.

The resolution called for effective measures to ensure that the blasphemy law is not misused, including the imposition of "strong safeguards" into the blasphemy law "to prevent its abuse through such atrocities in the future including by mobs involved in such crimes", read the resolution.

Lawmakers also demanded that the federal and provincial governments take strict action against the perpetrators and facilitators of the lynching, including those propagating hate speech.

"This House condemns all those who take the law into their own hands and engage in vigilantism, resulting in loss of innocent human lives," the resolution read.

Shah, prior to the tabling of the resolution, criticised the government's 'failure', noting that members of the federal government were not ready to issue statements in the Mashal Khan case.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's condemnation of the lynching had come two days after the horrific incident.

"The parliament should stand united and present a unanimous front against a barbaric act like this," Shah asserted. "It is the government and the opposition's responsibility to be united in the effort to save the country."

Opinion

Editorial

Sustainable path?
Updated 13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...
A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...