Arif Khan, a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) councillor who was seen warning a crowd not to name Mashal Khan's murderer after the student's lynching, has yet to be arrested, police officials in Mardan told DawnNews.

Arif was previously thought to have been arrested after police unveiled a list of 49 identified suspects and claimed to have captured 47 of them.

Questions over Arif Khan's arrest were raised, however, when senior Awami National Party (ANP) leader Bushra Gohar tweeted on Tuesday night that the suspect was still at large and that a PTI MPA was trying to help him escape to Thailand.

When police sources were subsequently asked about Arif's status, they admitted that the suspect was not yet in custody.

Sources within the police further revealed that the Arif Khan previously mentioned in the list of arrests made in the case was, in fact, a university employee who shared the same name with the PTI councillor.

Police officials in Mardan assured DawnNews, however, that the suspect in question could not leave the country as his passport has expired.

They added that they were still on his trail, with his last reported sighting on April 30 in Mohmand Agency.

PPP issues notices to workers

PPP issued notices to party workers, including the district naib nazim of Mardan, for violating party policy regarding Mashal Khan's murder.

The party's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chapter called on former speaker Ikramullah Shahid, District Naib Nazim Asad Kashmiri, and Abid Ali Shah to clarify their positions for participating in a rally held in favour of the perpetrators of the Mardan university lynching.

The notification, a copy of which is available with DawnNews, issued by the secretary general KP chapter stated, "You are well aware your act is in direct violation of party discipline. You are therefore given seven days to respond and clarify your position."