Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Expressing his confidence in the findings of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in the lynching case of his son Mashal Khan, Muhammad Iqbal has said that he will soon file a request through his lawyers for shifting the legal proceedings to Peshawar High Court as he couldn’t face the powerful killers in Mardan.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Iqbal Khan said that he was summoned to appear at the hearing of the killing of Mashal Khan. “I was asked to appear on Monday, June 5. However, I cannot go to Mardan. The killers of Mashal Khan are very resourceful persons. The JIT itself accepts that the killers include professional criminals,” Iqbal said.

He added that he cannot fight his son’s case in Mardan therefore he would soon file an appeal for shifting of the proceedings from Mardan to Peshawar.

A gloomy Iqbal expressed that the JIT report yet again proved his son’s innocence. “The investigations by Inspector General of Police and Deputy Inspector General Mardan had already proved him innocent. The JIT has proved this again after thorough investigations. I am grateful to the JIT team for finding the truth is such a short time,” he said.

“Killing Mashal was the worst form of terrorism. He never disrespected the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) but his crime was to raise his voice against the corrupt administration of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan. He wanted to see it become a top university and that’s why he spoke against all injustices and corruption there,” Iqbal claimed.

He demanded that the government put all the concerned persons of AWKUM administration on the Exit Control List (ECL) and all record of university funds, recruitments and expenses be taken in custody.

“My son’s sacrifice was for cleaning of the university from corruption. Experts should check these records and anyone involved in corruption should be punished according to the law. Only then can this university get on the right track,” Iqbal said.

He argued that it was important for Mashal to get justice as it would save thousands of Mashal (lamps) from dying out.

“I fear if my son doesn’t get justice, no one will feel safe sending their children to colleges and universities. I know I can’t get my son back but I wish and pray that no parents see the pain that I have been through,” he added.

Saleem Khan Advocate, leading the panel for Mashal Khan called the findings of the JIT a success for Mashal Khan.

“The 13 members JIT has found no evidence of Mashal’s involvement in any blasphemy in their 272 pages report,” he said.

Saleem Khan added that Mashal’s panel of lawyers was looking at the legal possibilities of trying people who used fake Facebook account to spread blasphemous content under Article 295 C of the Pakistan Penal Code as they had carried out blasphemy just to make ground for killing Mashal.

“The university administration killed Mashal in the name of religion to hide embezzlement of university funds. It absolutely lawful to punish more than one person for the death of Mashal as this was an unlawful assembly of criminals and it comes under Article 148/149 of the PPC,” he added.

In reply to a question, Muhammad Iqbal said that his earlier request for the case to be heard at a Military Court still stood as the courts have a backing of the parliament. “I trust the judicial system of the country and any court that can give us justice is acceptable to me and my family,” he said.

When asked about seeking police protection for his two daughters, Iqbal said that his daughters Storia Iqbal and Saba Iqbal had stopped going to school after the incident took place on April 13 due to fear of attack by unknown enemies.