Daily Times

PESHAWAR: As the trial of suspects caught in the brutal killing of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (AWKUM) student Mashal Khan continues at Peshawar High Court (PHC), little progress has since been made on the Joint Investigation Team’s (JIT) recommendations concerning the role of police and university administration.

A 13-member JIT formed on the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) directives to probe the killing had concluded on June 4 that Mashal’s murder was orchestrated to silence the outspoken student who had dared to raise voice against irregularities including embezzlement of university funds.

The JIT report had recommended an inquiry to probe possible negligence of police officials on the day of the incident. The inquiry has since been conducted and its report shared with the Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa (KP) Inspector General of Police (IGP). However, departmental action has yet to initiated over the findings of the inquiry.

Similarly, the report of an inquiry conducted by the KP Higher Education Department ‘carries dust’ as action has yet to be initiated against higher ups in the university administration.

Speaking to Daily Times, KP Minister for Higher Education Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani said the findings of the departmental inquiry were similar to those of the JIT team’s inquiry. He said the government would propose punitive action over the involvement of the university administration in due course of time, without explaining further what he meant by due course of time.

The university administration has yet to initiate an inquiry into alleged misappropriation of funds, as per the JIT’s recommendation. Only action taken by the administration so far has been the termination of services of 12 employees named in the FIR.

When contacted, the AWKUM focal person said that the matter was sub judice and disconnected the phone. Repeated attempts to call him again remained unsuccessful.

Political connection of suspects: The JIT report had also highlighted that those involved in orchestrating the killing were not just part of the university administration but were also affiliated with major political parties like the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

In fact, a gathering of district-level political leaders in Mardan headed by the JI and with representation from the ANP, PTI, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), and Khatm-e-Nabuwat Mutahida Dini Mahaz had rejected the JIT report as well as police investigations. They had also accused the deceased of blasphemy.

Of all the parties, only the PPP had issued notices to its representatives seeking clarification for their participation in the gathering.

Among those identified to have played a leading role in the crime was Ajmal Mayar, the president of the university employees’ union. He has been an ANP activist and is a close relative of ANP Mardan district head.

Murder trial: Of the 57 arrested by the police out of the 60 suspects identified through video evidence, six have been cross-examined in the court. Four of these have confessed to their involvement in the killing. These include Imran, a resident of the Palai area of Malakand division, who has admitted to having fired three shots at Mashal just outside his hostel room. Two of these had hit him, and were found in the medical examination to be the cause of his death. Initially, it was reported that Imran had been an activist of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) but later it was claimed that he was also associated with the banned Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM). JI leaders in Mardan have distanced themselves from Imran, saying that he had been removed from the party ranks two months before Mashal’s killing.

Three suspects who are still at large are ANP workers Sabir Mayar and Asad Katlang and PTI tehsil nazim Arif Khan. Sabir Mayar and Arif Khan are believed to have fled to Thailand.

Meanwhile, legal experts have expressed a concern that the medical report finding that Mashal died from the gunshot may lead to an undue advantage to those who dragged his body down the stairs and around the campus and later hit it with sticks.

No proceedings had taken place at the last hearing of the case on July 5 because of the absence of Mashal’s father Iqbal Shair and his lawyers. Iqbal Shair had requested the PHC last month to shift the hearings from Mardan to Peshawar, citing concerns that those involved in the crime may interfere and exert political influence in Mardan. The next hearing is scheduled for July 27 (next week) in Peshawar.

‘Knowing he was innocent, the delay hurts even more’: Meanwhile, relatives and friends of the deceased note that it has been over three months since the brutal incident took place at the AWKUM campus but they are still awaiting justice. They say the slow pace of proceedings is particularly painful since after the JIT report there remains little doubt about the nefarious role of the university administration in the matter.

Recalling that the JIT recommended an inquiry into alleged misappropriations of university funds, they criticise authorities concerned for having made tall claims after Mashal’s killing that his sacrifice will not be in vain. The provincial government has yet to take any action over irregularities in the university affairs, they lament.

Speaking to Daily Times, Mashal’s father says that the JIT had stated that all charges against his son were false and his killing was orchestrated. “After this finding, why is there a delay in action against the higher ups involved in his son’s murder?” he asks.

Published in Daily Times, July 22^nd , 2017.