MARDAN: The parents and relatives of the suspects arrested in Mashal Khan lynching case have rejected the report of joint investigation team and blamed the relevant officials for using delaying tactics to submit challan of the case in the court.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday after holding a protest rally, they alleged that members of JIT presented just one side of the picture in their report relating to the lynching of Mashal Khan, a student of journalism and mass communication department, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan.

The protesters were led by district councillors Mumtaz Bahadar, Sardar Khan, Dr Sahibzada, Dr Sher Wali and Ameer Mohammad Khan.

Dr Sahibzada told the press conference that they had been passing through critical time since occurrence of the incident of killing of Mashal Khan on April 13, 2017 on the premises of AWKU Mardan.

He said that police arrested 57 suspects in the case. He claimed that most of the arrested persons were innocent as they had no role in the murder of Mashal Khan. He said that they were arrested only on the basis of suspicion.

Sardar Khan alleged that police submitted challan of the case in the office of district public prosecutor few days ago but it was yet to be submitted in the relevant court.

`Police and other officials have been using delay tactics in submission of the challan. It is creating difficulties and complications for the families of the arrested persons,` he added.

Mumtaz Bahadar said that some political parties politicised the issue. He said that they were trying to take political advantages from the incident. He asked authorities concerned not to transfer the case from Mardan on the demand of father of Mashal Khan as it would create difficulties for around 60 families of the arrested persons.

The parents and relatives of the arrested persons set June 10 as deadline for relevant of ficials to submit challan of the case in the court. They threatened to launch agitation if their demand was not met. Correspondent