Military court should hear Marshal lynching case: Pak Senate

The Pakistan Senate Standing Committee on Interior wants the lynching case of Mashal Khan to be sent to military courts instead of holding a judicial inquiry.

The Senate body on Tuesday asked the government to refer the case to a military court.

Committee members argued that the order for a judicial inquiry was given to delay the matter, and also directed that the video of the attack on Khan, which has been widely circulated on social media, be banned and the names of the suspect be put on the exit control list, reports the Dawn.

Mashal Khan, a student of Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan was killed by a violent mob on campus premises after a dormitory debate followed by accusations of blasphemy.

Taking suo motu notice of the case, Committee chairman Senator Rehman Malik directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police to give a briefing on the incident.

The Deputy Inspector General of Mardan Police Mohammad Alam Shinwari, submitted a sealed report to the Supreme Court on Tuesday and also informed the committee that 32 suspects have been identified and more than 15 arrested since the registration of an FIR under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Senator Mohammad Javed Abbasi alleged that there was a conspiracy behind the murder as a mob was created to kill Khan.

He said there is no need to hold a judicial inquiry as people already know about the incident so it should be referred to the military courts.

Echoing similar sentiments Senator Tahir Mashhadi said the case should be tried by the military courts "as the murder was premeditated".

"The inquiry was nothing but a death warrant, because here people are killed when it is heard that an inquiry about blasphemy is going on. People should find the motive for the murder and recover the weapon," he added.

Senator Shahi Syed said that there was no one to control the situation in the University as offices of the vice chancellor and deputy vice chancellor are vacant.

Senators on Monday had called for amending the country's blasphemy law to prevent its misuse and punish those who make blasphemy accusations against others.

Lawmakers also demanded a crackdown on those taking law into their hands.