27-year-old Storiya Iqbal, the sister of slain student Mashal Khan who was lynched by his fellow students at Mardan’s Abdul Wali Khan University in 2017 over false allegations of blasphemy, recently graduated from University at Buffalo, New York.
In an article for Malala Fund, she opened up about the threats she and her sister faced after their brother’s brutal murder. Storiya iqbal wrote that she and her sister had to quit their education after Mashal Khan’s killing and were confined to their homes amid a hateful campaign against their brother, accusing him of blasphemy.
“Following my brother’s untimely demise, religious circles in Pakistan launched a vehement propaganda campaign against him, accusing him of blasphemy — a charge that holds no merit. As a result, my entire family faced numerous threats. When my father took a stand for justice and pursued legal action, our lives were further endangered. As Mashal Khan’s sister, I was deeply affected by this tragic incident. At the time, I was enrolled in a school, near where my brother was killed.
Due to the intimidation and threats from hardliners and religious groups, both my younger sister, who was in 9th grade at the time, and I were forced to stop our education,” she writes in the article.
She added that this continued for a year and her family was made prisoners at their homes. “I knew the only way to complete my college education was by studying abroad,” she said.
Storiya further wrote that by sharing her story and her determination to continue her education, she received a fully-funded scholarship at the University at Buffalo in New York. “This was a huge support from UB that encouraged me, as a girl, to travel alone, raise my voice, broaden my ideas, and continue my studies.”
Iqbal’s story of resilience in the face of extremism is inspiring, but it is also a reminder that Pakistan continues to fail its young people.
