Pakistani Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai used strong words to criticise the cold-blooded murder of Abdul Wali Khan University student Mashal Khan, who was lynched by a mob over allegations of blasphemy on Thursday.

"This is an incident filled with terror and fear," Yousafzai said in a video message.

Malala lamented that some Pakistanis have forgotten the message of peace given by Islam, saying: "This was not just the funeral of Mashal Khan, it was the funeral of the message of our religion Islam."

She said the Holy Prophet (PBUH) had never advised his followers to "be impatient and go around killing people".

Malala said Pakistani people often complain about the presence of Islamophobia in the West and that other countries are "maligning our name".

"No one is maligning the name of your country or religion... we ourselves are bringing a bad name to our country and religion," she said.

Malala, who was anointed a UN Messenger of Peace last week, said it is the right of every Pakistani to live a safe and peaceful life.

She urged the state institutions and political parties to take a stand in order to bring justice to Mashal's family.

The education activist also said she talked over telephone with Mashal's grieving father, who gave a message of "peace and patience".

23-year-old AWKUM student Mashal was killed and another student, Abdullah, seriously injured on Thursday by a vigilante mob at the campus for allegedly "publishing blasphemous content online", local police said at the time.

No case had been filed against the two students prior to the incident and police had not been investigating the two on blasphemy charges.

Opinion

Editorial

China security ties
14 Nov, 2024

China security ties

AFTER a slightly turbulent patch, during which officials publicly used uncharacteristically direct language,...
Steep price
14 Nov, 2024

Steep price

THE Hindu Kush-Himalayan region is in big trouble. A new study unveiled at the ongoing COP29 reveals that if high...
A high-cost plan
14 Nov, 2024

A high-cost plan

THE government has approved an expensive plan for FBR in the hope of tackling its deep-seated inefficiencies. The...
United stance
Updated 13 Nov, 2024

United stance

It would've been better if the OIC-Arab League summit had announced practical measures to punish Israel.
Unscheduled visit
13 Nov, 2024

Unscheduled visit

Unusual IMF visit shows the lender will closely watch implementation of programme goals to prevent it from derailing.
Bara’s businesswomen
13 Nov, 2024

Bara’s businesswomen

Bara’s brave women have proven that with the right support, societal barriers can be overcome.