HARIPUR: Five more prosecution witnesses testified in the Mashal Khan lynching case when anti-terrorism court resumed its proceeding after a break of six days in Central Jail Haripur on Wednesday.

The court presided over by Fazale Subhan Khan recorded the statements of five witnesses including four policemen a member of teaching faculty of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan.

Mashal Khan, a student of journalism department at AWKU, was lynched by angry mob on the premises of the university in Mardan.

According to prosecution counsels Hafiz Kala Khan and Sardar Abdul Rauf Khan, about 18 witnesses from police department, students and university employees were brought to Haripur jail amid tight security for recording their statements.

However, only four policemen Ajab Khan, Tariq Aziz, Hameed Akhtar and Zahoor Khan besides Sana Gul, a lecturer of AWKU, recorded their statements while other witnesses would testify on the next hearing.

The defence counsels cross-examined all the five witnesses before the court adjourned the case till October 28. A total of 41 prosecution witnesses have so far recorded their statements.

Earlier, the court ordered inquiry into the complaint of investigation officer Fazal Khan, who accused the jail authorities of not providing sufficient security to the witnesses.

He also exchanged harsh words with superintendent of the jail, Qayum Khan, contending that the relatives of the arrested suspects were allowed to enter the jail on the date of hearing.

He told the court that the suspects were threatening the witnesses.

Meanwhile, provincial government has not yet made appointment following the separation of director prosecution Zafar Abbas Mirza on grounds of threats he was facing at the hands of family members of some suspects.

He filed application with the ATC judge a couple of days ago seeking separation from the case, which was accepted by the judge. However the team of three public prosecutors he was heading is intact as all the three officers appeared before the court on Wednesday.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2017