KARACHI: Civil society members and social activists from different parties gathered outside Karachi Press Club to condemn the ‘brutal murder’ of Mashal, the Mardan University student on Saturday. Activists carrying placards and banners inscribed with ‘JUSTICE FOR MASHAL KHAN’, and ‘STOP RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM’ while chanting slogans against the lynching of the 23-year-old journalism student and demanded justice for him. “This fashion of violence in the name of religion has not emerged today or the day before, but it is deliberately being built up as a state-sponsored narrative,” said advocate Javed Qazi while addressing the protestors. “The silence and ignorance of the state over such issues gives an impression that it is supporting such elements” – people must come forward to talk about such incidents openly in public spaces to break the ice. Recalling Jinnah’s 11th August speech, Qazi stated that the founder of this country was a secular leader and a supporter of non-violent politics throughout his life. “It was a failure on the part of our universities and education system which allowed its students to be perpetrators of such violent and extremist narrative”, he believed. He stated that leaders are busy in money-making and purchasing industries and these issues are being neglected which results in the worst incidents. The Vice-President (Karachi Committee) of the Awami workers Party, Saleh Athar, added that due to the absence of rule of law, people decide to take the law in their own hands. “Lynching people in the name of religion is a very wrong thing” she asserted, saying people must be brought before the judiciary that has the authority to decide whether a person is guilty or not according to the law. The protesters read their poetry related to the rights of people and their struggle to achieve these rights. They also chanted slogans in favor of Mashal, demanding justice for him. A vigil in tribute was also held. It has been reported that vigils and protests took place in various cities around the country.