Mardan: A large group of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) workers gathered on the Mardan Motorway Interchange on Wednesday to protest against an anti-terrorism court’s (ATC) verdict in the Mashal Khan murder case. The crowd chanted slogans against the slain Mashal Khan and vowed to “move the Supreme Court against the verdict”. A JUI-F worker said that they had congregated there to “welcome” the 26 “heroes” who had been acquitted by the ATC earlier in the day. Six of the acquitted had reached Mardan, two had gone to Swat, while others were on their way, local sources said. One person, who was released by the ATC, was welcomed and garlanded by a jubilant crowd as he got off from a car. Addressing the crowd, JUI-F’s provincial general secretary Maulana Shujaul Mulk said that “this issue [of Mashal Khan’s verdict] will not end here”. He also criticised the government for supporting the verdict. Another provincial party leader warned that if the government did not release the convicts that were sentenced by the ATC, JUI-F would hold protests and added that the party “will not sit quietly [till the convicts are released]”. Published in Daily Times, February 8th 2018.