Prime witness in Mashal Khan murder case backtracks on statement

ABBOTTABAD: The prime witness in Mashal Khan murder case backtracked on his statement during hearing at the camp court in Haripur Central Prison on Wednesday.

According to sources, when the hearing started the prime witness in the case, Sayab Khan, backtracked on the statement he had made earlier.

While talking to Geo News, Mashal’s father Iqbal Khan and counsel Fazal Khan confirmed that Sayab turned away from his statement. They alleged that the witness was being pressurised by the accused party, saying they would take the matter to Peshawar High Court.

The witness had earlier said he was present in the crowd at Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan on the day Mashal was killed and that he had seen Imran Ali, the main suspect, open fire on Mashal.

Four witnesses were to give statement during the hearing on Wednesday, which was held under the supervision of Anti-Terrorism Court in Haripur Judge Fazal Subhan. However, after the first witness backtracked the hearing was adjourned until October 25.

Mashal’s case was moved to Abbottabad on the request of Iqbal, his father. Iqbal did not want the court to pursue the case in Mardan, saying his and his family’s lives were under threat there because the accused were present in Mardan.

Therefore, on July 27, two members of Peshawar High Court bench ordered the case be moved to ATC Abbottabad and shifted the accused to Central Jail Haripur.

On September 19, ATC Abbottabad indicted 57 suspects in Mashal murder case.

Mashal, a journalism student at Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan, was brutally killed by a violent mob on April 13, which had accused him of blasphemy.