SWABI: Mohammad Iqbal, Mashal Khan’s father, and leaders of Mashal Forum on Tuesday expressed concern over the recovery of weapons and drugs by police from the Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan before its reopening on Monday.

Mashal, a student of Mass Communication, was lynched by a violent mob on the accusation of blasphemy on April 13. Later, his body was also desecrated on the premises of the varsity.

The Mardan police, during a search of the varsity hostel, recovered magazines, pistols, iron fists, a knife, empty alcohol bottles and drugs.

The university remained closed for about seven weeks after the Mashal’s killing.

Mr Iqbal questioned how these weapons made their way to the varsity hostel, stating that the university was not a place for such items. There should be an extensive investigation into who allowed smuggling of drugs and arms into the varsity, and those involved in the heinous crime should be given exemplary punishment, he demanded.

Replying a question, he said parents did not send their children to universities for using drugs and weapons, they did send them to acquire quality education and play role in national building, he stressed.

“If a student gets involved in such activities it is the responsibility of the university administration to immediately inform the parents, and if a student fails to follow the university code he should be expelled without any hesitation,” he demanded.

The universities should never compromise on code of conduct, otherwise, knowledge imparting environment would be disturbed, he noted.

Speaking on the occasion, general secretary of Mashal Forum, Liaqat Yousafzai, demanded that gross misuse of blasphemy law should be prevented and the perpetrators should be punished.

He called for adopting a result-oriented policy to counter the extremist mindset in the society. District nazim Ameer Rehman said as the students were their future they should not be allowed to indulge in such dangerous activities.

“Discipline is prerequisite for a peaceful environment at the campuses. There should be no compromise on discipline,” he emphasised.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2017