Pakistani Student Mobbed to Death Inside Campus
A young man in Pakistan was mobbed to death by fellow students and school officials for the offense of blasphemy. The lynching happened April 13 at Abdul Wali Khan University in Peshawar, which led to the death of 23-year-old journalism and mass communication major, Mashal Khan.
Khan and two others were accused of "blasphemous activities," an extremely sensitive topic in Muslim-majority Pakistan, which is enough to send an offender to death row. Two of the accused, identified as Wajahatullah and Abdullah, would later claim they were being pressured to testify against Khan, the primary suspect.
That day, school officials convened to hear the case of the three students. Prior to that, however, a campaign was launched against Khan that fueled indignation from the academic community. While the three were arguing with their accusers, the proceedings turned violent and the people inside the room went for the three students.
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Wajahatullah and Abdullah were able to escape but with injuries. It was Khan who bore the brunt of the violence by being shot in the head and chest. His body was disrobed and dragged down the hallway then around the campus. The mob would have torched the cadaver if not for the arrival of authorities.
Abdullah denied they had anti-Islamic views, saying the accusation was borne by Khan's speaking out against the school administration's unfair treatment towards economically disadvantaged students. Of the 20 suspects, 15 have been arrested including students, university employees and a district councilor.
Even at Khan's funeral, religious leaders expressed their hatred against him. They warned that those who attend the funeral will have to renew their marriage.
"The two clerics ... [used] the mosque loudspeaker for hate speech against the slain student and his family and ... created hurdles for the people and another cleric to participate in the funeral," a senior police official told Reuters.
