Pakistan: 2 jailed for life over lynching of student

By Aamir Latif</p> <p>KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – A Pakistani court on Thursday handed down life sentences to two accused for their involvement in 2017 lynching of a university student over blasphemy claims, local media reported.</p> <p>According to broadcaster Geo News, an anti-terrorism court in northwestern Peshawar city found the two — Arif Khan, a city councilor belonging to ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, and Mohammad Asad — guilty of being involved in inciting the mob that led to lynching of the student.</p> <p>The judge acquitted another two accused for lack of evidence, the broadcaster said.</p> <p>The convicts can challenge the judgment in the high court within next seven days.</p> <p>Mashaal Khan, 23, a student of Wali Khan University Mardan was lynched by an angry mob at the campus in April 2017 after he was accused of committing blasphemy, which later was proved untrue.</p> <p>Last year, another anti-terrorism court had handed down death penalty to the prime accused and life term to another five for their involvement in the lynching.</p> <p>The fresh verdict came a day after a college student stabbed a professor to death for alleged “anti-Islam” remarks in northeastern Bahawalpur district.</p> <p>Blasphemy against Islam and Prophet Muhammad is a criminal offense that can carry the death penalty in Pakistan. While the state has never executed anyone under the law, mere allegations have stirred mass protests and violence.</p> <p>Rights group observe that the blasphemy law is often exploited to settle personal scores against religious minorities and should be annulled.</p> <p>There are nearly 600 cases of blasphemy pending in the courts, two-thirds of which involve Muslims, according to the local media.