- Afghan diplomat delivers special message at a Swabi function
The chehlum of Mashal Khan, the Abdul Wali Khan University student who was lynched by a violent mob, was held in his hometown of Zaida in district Swabi on Sunday.
Swabi Nazim Ameer Rehman – who also heads the Mashal Khan Action Committee as chairman – laid flowers at the slain student’s grave and offered prayers for his soul. A large number of locals also visited the grave and held prayers for the departed soul.
Addressing a function held at Zaida Cricket Ground, Afghan Deputy Head of Mission Zardasht Shams said that he had brought the message of love and peace from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and from the Afghan people, who have paid tribute to the father and the mother of the slain student for showing resilience and tolerance in a difficult time.
Earlier, the district nazim demanded that the university where Mashal was killed be named after him and that the murdered student be placed under the martyr package by the government. “Those involved in the lynching should be tried under military court and should be categorised alongside Taliban for killing an innocent student,” he said.
He also urged the Supreme Court to set a precedent by giving exemplary punishment to those who use religions for their own designs. Aman Jirga leader Syed Kamal Shah created furore when he lashed out at the ANP, saying the party’s workers were involved in Mashal’s lynching. He questioned where Bacha Khan and the party’s philosophy of non-violence and tolerance had gone when its students were behind such an inhumane act.
He said that ANP should make itself accountable and set precedents for others. Shah’s criticism riled some members of ANP’s student wing National Youth Organisation and some party activists who stormed the stage to attack him. Police intervened and prevented things from getting out of hand. The nazim calmed the workers and urged them to tolerate criticism from others and accept others’ opinions.
PPP leader Raheemdad Khan read out former president Asif Ali Zardari’s message for the family and said his party would extend its full support to Mashal’s parents in their struggle to get justice. A Quran Khwani was also held at Mashal’s house, where his family members had gathered to commemorate the chehlum.
Speaking to the media, Mashal’s father Iqbal Jan reiterated his call for the arrest of the real perpetrators of the murder. The police have so far arrested 57 people suspected to be involved in Mashal’s killing. High security was deployed around the ground where the event was held, while elite force personnel were also stationed at the village entrance.
