Police apprehend absconding suspect in Mashal Khan murder case

MARDAN: The police arrested on Thursday one of the few remaining suspects in the Mashal Khan murder case.

Mashal, a journalism student at Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan, was killed on April 13 by a violent mob on the pretext of committing blasphemy. However, investigators found no proof of blasphemy and ruled that the murder was politically motivated.

Mardan District Police Officer (DPO) Mian Saeed said on Thursday that Izhar alias Johnny was arrested from Saddar area of Mardan. He added that the suspect was in possession of a Kalashnikov, a Kalakov and a pistol.

The DPO said the suspect was wanted by the police for eight months, adding that a total of 58 suspects are in custody whereas three are still absconding.

At the last hearing of the case on December 14, Mashal’s father Mohammad Iqbal recorded his statement in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) hearing the case inside Haripur Jail.

Earlier, when the hearing of the case was started in Mardan, Iqbal and the provincial government had requested the Peshawar High Court to move the case out of Mardan for fear of a law and order situation.

At that time, Iqbal had also disclosed that families of the accused were pressuring him and he was afraid a fair trial may not take place.

On July 27, the high court ordered to move the case to ATC Abbottabad and shifted the accused to Central Jail Haripur.