Mashal Khan, a student of journalism at the Abdul Wali Khan University in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has been served justice after his brutal lynching in April last year by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court. The court gave death sentence to one person and life imprisonment to five others involved in the heinous crime. Out of the 58 suspects, the court ordered four-year imprisonment to 25 people and acquitted 26 people.

Mashal Khan was accused of blasphemy, beaten and finally shot by a mob. The police investigation, however, concluded the accusation to be false. It was revealed that Mashal Khan spoke up against the corruption in the university which posed a threat to the Pakhtoon Students Federation, the student wing of the Awami National Party.

While the judge was preparing to announce the judgement, relatives of the accused were found protesting outside the court. Imran, who had shot Mashal was given death sentence by the court. The government of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province is preparing to appeal against the acquittal of the 26 suspects who were acquitted due to lack of evidence to prove their role in the lynching.

According to the local media, nearly 50 witnesses appeared in the court and recorded their statements.