Protesters demand justice for Mashal Khan in Karachi/AFP file photo

ABBOTTABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) here on Tuesday rejected the bail applications of 17 accused in Mashal Khan murder case, and decided to shift the trial to Central Jail Haripur, which has stricter security measures.

Justice Fazal Subhan of ATC Abbottabad, after hearing the arguments of both sides, rejected the bail of all 17 accused.

The judge ordered to shift the case to Central Jail Haripur, where the hearings will now take place.

On this occasion, Mashal's father Iqbal Khan and a large number of people from Mardan were also present.

Mashal Khan, a journalism student at Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan, was brutally killed by a violent mob on April 13, which had accused him of blasphemy.

Mashal Khan case suspects to be indicted on Sept 19

There are a total of 57 suspects, of whom four are absconding

Police registered cases under sections 148-422-302-324-143 against the arrested accused in Mahsal Khan case, including Sajid Ali, Wajid Malang, Asif Ali, Waleed Ayub, Syed Wajid Ali, Mujeeb Ullah, Sajjad Ali, Urfanullah, Nasrullah, Syed Abbas, Aziz Khan, Atif Munsif, Fazeelat Jan, Muhammad Asif Khan, Sahibzada Muhammad Sohaib, Anas Ali, Zeeshan Khan and others.

Earlier, when the hearing of Mashal Khan case was started in Mardan, the petitioner Iqbal Khan and provincial government had requested the court to move the case from Mardan for fear of law and order situation.

At that time, Iqbal Khan had also disclosed that families of accused were pressurising him and he was afraid a fair trial may not take place.

On July 27, two members of Peshawar High Court (PHC) bench ordered to move the case to ATC Abbottabad and shifted the accused to Central Jail Haripur.