Lynching of Pakistani Student After Being Accused of Blasphemy Revealed to Be Premeditated
A Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has revealed that Mashal Khan, the Pakistani student who was lynched on blasphemy allegations, was a victim of conspiracy hatched by some student leaders and university employees of his school. The report also served as a posthumous absolving of the victim.
The 23-year-old Mashal was beaten to death by an angry mob on Apr. 13 inside the campus of Abdul Wali Khan University in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where he was taking a mass communication course. He was accused for publishing blasphemous content online.
A video circulated online showing Mashal being stripped naked and mauled with sticks and bricks. He was also shot two times. At least 57 suspects were arrested including 12 university officials. The lone gunman who is a student admitted to the crime, and said he didn't regret his action.
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The 13-man JIT concluded that Mashal's murder was premeditated by rivals of a political group who saw him as a threat after he appeared on TV to complain about rising tuition fees. He also earned the ire of faculty members for organizing protests against university policies.
The report said the plot against Mashal was hatched a month earlier and centered on blasphemy which is punishable by death in Pakistan. The emotional wave surrounding blasphemy is so great that it often result in riots. But the accusation is also used as a tool for frame up to settle smaller scores.
It was learned that minutes before the killing, Mashal recited the Kalma to assure the angry mob that he was Muslim. He also begged that he be taken to the hospital. The report also questioned the performance of the 25 policemen who were present during the mauling.
After the incident, some faculty members pressured students to support the blasphemy charges, which the report found to be unfounded. JIT also learned that some employees hired by the school administration had criminal records which may also have had a bearing on Mashal's death.
