THE Women’s Action Forum (WAF) shares the grief with the family and friends of Mashal Khan and condemns his vicious and premeditated murder committed in cold-blood. WAF holds the administration of the Mardan university and representatives of political parties who attempted to cover up the planned murder as equal conspirators and criminals.

WAF demands two immediate steps: the alleged murderers be tried through the normal justice system with due process. Beyond mandated punishment, we demand that the judiciary pronounce a sentence that exposes and condemns the excuse of religion as a means to perform hateful acts.

We call on the parliament to immediately revisit laws that encourage systemic vigilantism and which subvert Pakistan’s justice system.

Secondly, a judicial sentence must hold accountable those who aid, abet and celebrate the false heroism of murderers, and encourage lawlessness. All members of the Mardan university administration, including the dean, are complicit in this crime and must be dismissed and punished in exemplary ways.

We call on the parliament and the judiciary to decide if state-appointed imams can refuse performing their duties to lead funeral prayers? If state-appointed officials get to pick and choose, then should they be drawing salaries and benefits? Are they not subverting the constitution and disobeying their mandated duties? Will military officers be permitted to make choices too, regarding who to fight against?

WAF

Karachi

(2)

THE lynching of a student of Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan by his colleagues should serve as an eye-opener. We need to take stock of where this nation has landed. We have fallen to such depths that we praise the convict and the murderer. Religious narrow-mindedness and persecution has to stop now and allowed to go no further as our country is already overwhelmed by dark thoughts and actions. God save our country!

Salahuddin Mirza Karachi

(3)

WE, the members of the University of Karachi Alumni Association of Washington DC, Baltimore Area, are shocked and saddened by the inhuman, brutal and savage act of the mob which murdered Mashaal Khan at the Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan. We urge the Pakistan government and the judiciary to give justice of Mashaal Khan’s murderers and adopt a comprehensive policy to prevent such tragedies in future. Ours is a non-profit organisation working to promote education in Pakistan. We have been working for this mission for the last 20 years. In addition to the completion of a few educational projects, we provided scholarships worth $75,000 to over 450 students in Karachi last year alone.

Aquil Ahmed

President

University of Karachi Alumni Association

Washington DC

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2017