Pakistan

Former K-P speaker, others lead rally demanding release of Mardan lynching suspects

Rally also saw participation from MPAs of various parties

Hidayat Hoti April 28, 2017

Mashal Khan, 23, was shot and lynched on April 13 following blasphemy allegations. PHOTO: FACEBOOK

MARDAN: At a time when protests against Mashal Khan’s brutal murder are taking place across the country, a group of clerics has called all the suspects arrested in Mashal’s lynching “innocent” and demanded their release.

The Muttahida Ulema Council (MUC) held a rally near the district administration’s office in Mardan on Friday following afternoon prayers to demand the release of all suspects currently in police custody.

Mashal, a 23-year-old student of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, was lynched and shot on April 13 on the university campus by a mob of fellow students following an accusation of blasphemy.

Student who shot Mashal Khan arrested: DIG Mardan

Leaders of several political parties, except Awami National Party, attended the rally. Senior members of the council including former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) assembly speaker Ikramullah Shahid, former MPA Maulana Amanat Shah, Pakistan Muslim League’s Inayat Shah Bacha, and Jamaat-e-Islami’s Attaur Rehman, participated in the rally.

They claim that the murder suspects were true Muslims for "fulfilling their religious duties", and demanded that they be set free.

The rally began at Pakistan Square and participants urged traders to show their love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) by shutting their shops and joining the march. Within 10 minutes all major markets were closed and shopkeepers were seen joining in.

More than 8,000 people reportedly participated in the rally.

COMMENTS (16)

shahid | 7 years ago | Reply Those countries which are progressing have no time for religion.

Noor | 7 years ago | Reply We condemn this rally against Marshal murder. These people who participated are responsible for such incident in future.They don't following the Law nor Islamic education. these are the elements defaming Islam.They take law in their hands.They must be punished

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farhana yasmin | 7 years ago | Reply We respect mulaass and all religious leaders but we dont want them run the constitution for us. Rather we DESPERATELY need a new Pakistan, where one could have the freedom of speech without being ‘lynched to death'. Thanks

AS | 7 years ago | Reply This is going to be a litmus test for the party whose slogan is Insaf..let's see how much insaf they can deliver.

Hasan | 7 years ago | Reply SC must take note and proceed against these criminals.

Amir | 7 years ago | Reply Clerics again playing the religious cards forcing traders and others by blackmail

ishtiaq Ahmed | 7 years ago | Reply I have as simple question to ask these despicable clerics. Was Mashal not a human being who deserved to live his life. Once again there is no cure and such incidents will not stop until we as a nation make a hard break from religion as an instrument of politics.

F Khan | 7 years ago | Reply Vote bank politics and not march.

rubab | 7 years ago | Reply All rally persons should arrest immediately they r going to misguide citizens Islam is against of these type of brainwasher .

M M Malik | 7 years ago | Reply Dichotomy in our society has torn its fabric at its core.

salman | 7 years ago | Reply All of them should be arrested. They are trying to influence the judicial process. They know if the culprit get sentence then their importance will become lesser.

Really Naive | 7 years ago | Reply Please look at the root cause for such attitude by these clowns....look at which ideology are they following? Does it have anything to do with islam?? Which countries are funding and promoting such ideologies in Pakistan ?? Why r the institutions allowing it to flourish?

Pakistani | 7 years ago | Reply Such thugs are only good to give bad name to Islam

khalid khan | 7 years ago | Reply It is very sad to see it. The country in general and KP in particular is losing administration. anyone what ever desires and wish can do. if the government calling itself the pure(smiling) had a minimum insight and outsight would have not allowed it to appear..............

Ameer Qaisrani | 7 years ago | Reply Arrest all such clerics and other people with such thoughts and punish them

Rafiq Khan | 7 years ago | Reply Truly despicable even I beggar words to condemn their brazen behaviour.These so called guardian of Islam must be booked for terming terrorists as innocent.Sheer provocation,they have lost their credibility even worse than beasts.

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