LAHORE: The National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), a rights organisation established in 1985 by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Pakistan, has strongly condemned the gruesome mob attack against a fellow student in Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan. According to media reports, a large mob of students shot and lynched Mashal Khan over allegations of blasphemy. In a joint statement, NCJP Chairperson and Bishop of Faisalabad Dr Joseph Arshad, NCJP National Director Emmanuel Yousaf Mani and NCPJ Executive Director Cecil Shane Chaudhry said statement that such violence and barbaric behaviour was absolutely unacceptable. They asked the government take stern action against perpetrators of such extreme hate and violence. “In the presence of laws, no one should be allowed to take matters into their hands. Furthermore hate and discriminative material should be removed from text books if we want to create a peaceful and tolerant society.” They added, ‘The university should develop thinking minds, which can accept and value the opinion of others despite their faith or belief. We need to teach our young students the virtues of tolerance, coexistence and acceptance. As well as, we need to teach our young people the importance of justice, law and order. Any and every form of street violence should be discouraged. Therefore, it is necessary for the government to take necessary actions to provide not just safety and security for the young brilliant minds working to shape a better and intellectual Pakistan but to ensure quality value education.” They went on to say that the tragic event had caused shock and bereavement throughout the country. “We pray for the family of Mashal Khan that may God grant them peace and give them strength to overcome this irreparable loss and grant all of us the wisdom to contribute to build a peaceful society in Pakistan,” they concluded.