After the imam at a local mosque in Zaida refused to lead Mashal Khan's funeral prayers and locals refused to attend his funeral, Sherin Yar, a resident of a nearby village, stepped forward prepared to perform the last rites "no matter what the cost."

Mashal Khan, a 23-year-old journalism student at the Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, was lynched by a mob earlier this month over allegations of blasphemy.

Appearing on DawnNews' 'Newswise' programme on Friday, Sherin recalled that an imam in the village had told locals that anyone who led Mashal's funeral prayers or participated in the funeral will be considered an apostate.

Sherin, a close friend of Mashal Khan's father, helped organise the funeral. On the day of the funeral, he travelled 18 kilometres to Zaida, prepared to lead the funeral prayers if no one else was willing to do so.

He recalled that the situation in the village that day was "very tense," adding that "no one was prepared to come to the funeral."

"I told my friends that I was coming and our aim was that the funeral rites are performed," he said.

“In these circumstances ... the accusation that was made [of committing blasphemy] ... people make their own assumptions and think they are right," Sherin said.

"I don’t agree with this," he added.

He said that when he arrived at the village, Mashal's father had arranged for someone else to lead the prayers.

"When this other boy who was there stepped forward to lead the prayers, I took a step back," he said.

"We went to the funeral and told the people that we are here and we will offer the prayers no matter what price we have to pay," Sherin said.