Could a student’s death change Pakistan’s blasphemy laws?

Source: BBC

People demonstrate after the killing Mashal Khan, accused of blasphemy, by a mob at Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan, during a protest in Peshawar, Pakistan 14 April 2017Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionThe mob killing has shocked many in Pakistan

The brutal mob killing of a university student who was accused of committing blasphemy has caused outrage in Pakistan.

The country has strict and controversial blasphemy laws – which human rights groups say are often used to unfairly target religious minorities or settle personal scores. Could this case prove a turning point?

Who was Mashal Khan?

Mashal Khan was a 26-year-old student of journalism at the Abdul Wali Khan University in the northern city of Mardan.

He described himself on Facebook as a humanist and his social media postings reveal a young man interested in promoting women’s rights and opposing racism.

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Categories: Asia, Blasphemy, Pakistan

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