As was widely expected, the father of a medical student who was brutally murdered for refusing a marriage proposal in 2018, has pardoned her killer.

Asma Rani was shot by Mujahidullah who was found guilty of the murder earlier this year.

Rani's father, Ghulam Dastagir, pardoned Mujahidullah at an event held in Naurang town in Lakki Marwat here on Sunday.

Aaj Digital reported last week that the girls family had denied pardoning Mujahidullah and was waiting for the jirga to weigh in on the matter.

The Marwat Qaumi Jirga on August 30 objected to the out-of-court settlement in Rani's murder. They said they had not been taken into confidence on this issue by the girl's family who belongs to Lakki Markwat.

But Dawn reported on Tuesday, that the pardoning event was held in Naurang town.

They said members of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl MNA Maulana Mohammad Anwar, Awami National Party Lakki chief Malik Ali Sarwar, Qaumi Watan Party district president Amirzada Khattak, elders and prominent religious scholars attended the function.

News of the pardoning caused much outrage on social media.

People were especially pained to read that the families hugged each other after the pardon was formally announced.

Some questioned the absence of the government in allowing this to happen.

Someone made the connect between Asma Rani's killer being pardoned and Shahrukh Jatoi.

While others used the opportunity to bring up a woman's dress code.