ABBOTTABAD - The Peshawar High Court circuit bench in Abbottabad on Tuesday suspended the conviction of 25 suspects in the Mashal Khan lynching case.
A two-judge bench gave this order on appeals filed by the suspects who were awarded three years of jail term in the case by an anti-terrorism court. The bench also ordered their release on bail.
Mashal, 23, a student at Abdul Wali Khan University (AWKU) in Mardan, was beaten and shot to death on April 13 last year by an unruly mob instigated by rumours that he had committed blasphemy by posting sacrilegious content online.
On February 7, the ATC sentenced the prime suspect to death while five others to 25 years imprisonment in the case.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday disposed of suo moto notice of lynching of Mashal Khan after trial court sentenced the suspects.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard the case during which Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Additional Advocate General told the court that the suspects have been given punishments.
The CJP said that there is no need to carry on with the suo moto case as the convicts have been awarded sentences, therefore, he dismissed the case.