SWABI: The chehlum of Mashal Khan was held in Zaida, Swabi on Sunday.
Swabi Nazim Ameer Rehman, who is also the chairman of Mashal Khan Action Committee, laid flowers at the student’s grave and offered prayers.
Later, he spoke at a function held at Zaida Cricket Ground to remember Mashal. Members of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the Awami National Party (ANP), Pakhtunkhwa Ulasi Tehrik, lawyers, Baloch nationalists, as well as an Afghan diplomat also attended the event.
Rehman said that the university where Mashal was killed should be named after him and he should be placed under the Shaheed package by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
“Those involved in the lynching should be tried under military court and should be categorised alongside the Taliban for they killed an innocent student for their ulterior motives,” said Rehman.
He urged the Supreme Court of Pakistan to set a precedent by giving exemplary punishment to Mashal’s killers.
KP Aman Jirga leader Syed Kamal Shah criticised the Awami National Party, saying the party’s workers were involved in Mashal’s lynching. “Where is Bacha Khan and the party’s philosophy of non-violence and tolerance when its students are behind such acts? ANP should make itself accountable and set precedents for others,” he said.
This angered members of ANP’s students’ wing and some party activists who attacked him. Police intervened and prevented things from getting out of hand.
District Nazim Rehman calmed the workers and urged them to tolerate criticism from others and accept others’ opinions. He then asked Shah to continue his speech.
Once the programme resumed, Afghan Deputy Head of Mission Zardasht Shams said he had brought the message of love and peace from the president of Afghanistan and from the Afghan people, who have paid tribute to the mother and father of the slain student for showing resilience and tolerance in a difficult time.
He added that the message of non-violence was the need of the hour to fight militancy and terrorism.
PPP leader Raheemdad Khan read out former president and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s message for the family and said his party would extend its full support to Mashal’s parents in their struggle to get justice.
Pakhtunkhwa Ulasi Tehrik Chairman Dr Said Alam Mehsud demanded that an example should be made of the culprits of the heinous crime and that the Supreme Court transfer the case to a military court.
High security was deployed around the ground where the event was held, while elite force personnel were also stationed at the village entrance.
