PESHAWAR: A teacher has described the moment he was accosted by a mob that lynched a liberal student accused of blasphemy – an attack that has triggered shock, outrage and fear across the country. Hundreds of men attacked journalism student Mashal Khan last Thursday, stripping, beating and shooting him before throwing him from the second floor of his hostel at the Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan. Mashal Khan had been known for his liberal views, especially on Facebook, sparking the blasphemy allegations against him. Twenty-two people have been arrested so far over the killing, which came after the government intensified its rhetoric against blasphemy. Ziaullah Hamdard, one of Mashal Khan’s teachers, told a private news channel on Tuesday that he saw students shouting slogans against Khan and another student, Abdullah. One university employee threatened to kill Khan and cut him into pieces, Hamdard said. Then the mob began kicking in the door to a washroom where Abdullah had taken refuge. “All this happened in seconds. They broke the door, some of them had batons, they were furious – suddenly they entered inside… they were not listening to anyone,” Hamdard said. Police arrived and managed to yank a wounded Abdullah to safety, he said. At the sight of blood and the crowd, he added, “I lost my courage.” Hamdard rushed to the staff hostel, but around 20 students were already there and accused him of hiding Khan.
