[DAWN] A new video circulating on Tuesday contains footage of scenes following the Mardan university lynching and shows a man demanding that a group of students take an oath to conceal the identity of the man who shot 23-year-old Mashal Khan.Mashal, a student of Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, had been lynched moments before the video was made over allegations of blasphemy.
The video shows the mob involved in the lynching shouting religious slogans and congratulating each other over the brutal episode.
In the video, a man who appears to be the ringleader, Arif, is heard proclaiming that anyone who names the shooter will be considered "a blasphemer".
The following is the text of the slogans being chanted in the video:
"Congratulations, congratulations!
Silence, silence!
Whoever shot him [Mashal], don't take his [the shooter's] name
Whoever takes his [shooter's] name will commit blasphemy. If you want to file an FIR, my name is Arif"
The declaration appears to be a veiled threat to silence those who may testify against the murder and protect the main culprits.
Arif names himself and his father and states that anyone who wished to lodge a First Information Report in the case is free to nominate him for the murder.
According to university students, Arif does not attend Abdul Wali Khan University, but has been allowed on the premises on several occasions. Local media reports say he is the general secretary of the Insaf Student Federation, which is the student wing of the ruling party in KP, Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is
Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
(PTI).
An investigation into the Mardan university lynching has been initiated, but the identity of Mashal's shooter is yet to be determined.
A postmortem report of Mashal's killing states a gunshot wound was the cause of death, but also noted that the body had been subjected to serious trauma.
Meanwhile,
...back at the alley, Slats Chumbaloni was staring into a hole that was just .45 inch in diameter and was less than three feet from his face ...
the administration of Abdul Wali Khan University on Tuesday suspended seven of its employees in connection with the murder of Mashal Khan.