On Thursday, April 13, Mashal Khan, a student at Abdul Wali Khan University, was fatally shot after being accused of posting “blasphemous” content online.
About Mashal
Mashal Khan was a resident of Swabi and a student at AWKU’s Journalism and Mass Communications department. Khan has been referred to as a “humanist” by fellow students and close family members.
In an interview with Pakistan Today, Khan’s father said Khan was a religious man.
“He always respected religion, stayed focused on education,” Khan’s father, a progressive poet, said. “Mashal Khan used to talk about the teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) with the family members at home. His prime focus was on education.”
#blasphemy #Mashalkhan father Muhammad Iqbal Iqbal, a progressive poet, interview 2 @voadeewa "intolerance has killed my son" #voasocial pic.twitter.com/etMh2orlNC
— VOA DEEWA (@voadeewa) April 14, 2017
“Everyone here is a witness to this…. he always respected religion. He was a critic of the system, he rarely spoke, just used to stay silent mostly,” the father continued. “Being a father, I want justice.”
Khan was laid to rest this morning in Swabi. Khan was 23 years old.
Twitter Responds
Now, several students (and onlookers) are paying their respects via Twitter. See their posts below:
I am #Mashal
Quaid e azam university protest for martyred #Mashal @BushraGohar @aimalwali @AsfandyarKWali @a_siab @HasanQau @HamidMirPAK pic.twitter.com/9uCIvTeDv7— khan lala (@Asalkakar1) April 14, 2017
Dear Mashal,
I am sorry that this happened to you. But that's all we have always been. Sorry. And then we move on.
Rest in peace.
— ukulele amin (@sidraaminq) April 13, 2017
I knew Mashal Khan personally and he was acha khasa muslim. Perhaps his only sin was Russian nationality#Mardan
— Ali Abdullah (@AAbdullahhh42) April 13, 2017
Going thru Mashal Khan's posts on FB and Twitter, he comes across as a very compassionate, intelligent person. A humanist killed by animals. pic.twitter.com/ToFPsNRGV3
— Hasan Zaidi (@hyzaidi) April 13, 2017
Ive hardly come across a more patient man & a braver father than that of #MashalKhan. May God bless his family & keep all our children safe
— M. Jibran Nasir (@MJibranNasir) April 14, 2017
https://twitter.com/IamLailaa_/status/852897073024380928
https://twitter.com/aloovibes/status/852621014714462209
https://twitter.com/faisaltanoli59/status/852581944378261504
