Pakistan: 2 jailed for life over lynching of student

KARACHI, Pakistan

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.

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.

The judge acquitted another two accused for lack of evidence, the broadcaster said.

The convicts can challenge the judgment in the high court within next seven days.

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.

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.

The fresh verdict came a day after a college student stabbed a professor to death for alleged “anti-Islam” remarks in northeastern Bahawalpur district.

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.

Rights group observe that the blasphemy law is often exploited to settle personal scores against religious minorities and should be annulled.

There are nearly 600 cases of blasphemy pending in the courts, two-thirds of which involve Muslims, according to the local media.