Daily Times

KARACHI: WAF grieves with the family and friends of Mashal Khan and condemns his vicious and premeditated murder committed in cold-blood. WAF holds the administration of Wali Khan University in Mardan and representatives of political parties who attempted to cover up the planned assassination as equal conspirators and criminals.

WAF demands two immediate steps; the alleged murderers must be tried through the normative justice system with due process. Beyond mandated punishment, we demand that the judiciary pronounce a sentence that exposes and condemns the use of religion as a means to perform hateful acts. We call on Parliament to immediately revisit laws that encourage systemic vigilantism and which subvert Pakistan’s justice system.

Secondly, a judicial sentence must hold accountable those who aid, abet and celebrate the false heroism of murderers, and encourage lawlessness. All members of the university administration including the dean are complicit in this crime and must be dismissed and punished in exemplary ways.

“We call on Parliament and the judiciary to decide if state-appointed imams may refuse to perform their duties to lead funeral prayers? If state appointed officials get to pick and choose then should they be drawing salaries and benefits? Are they not subverting the constitution and disobeying their mandated duties? Will military officers be permitted to make choices too, regarding who to fight against?”