ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday took notice of the Sialkot incident where a Sri Lankan-national manager of a factory was tortured to death over blasphemy allegations before burning his body, Minister for Religious Affairs Noor ul Haq Qadri announced.
“The prime minister has contacted Punjab government and sought details regarding the unfortunate incident,” the religious minister said adding that the premier has directed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Noor ul Haq further shared that the Prime Minister has said that safeguarding the life and property of foreigners is the responsibility of the state and no one would be allowed to take the law into their hand.
Taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister termed the event a “horrific vigilante attack”, noting that the manager had been “burned alive”. “The horrific vigilante attack at a factory in Sialkot and the burning alive of the Sri Lankan manager is a day of shame for Pakistan,” he said.
The premier said he was overseeing the investigations and let it be known that “all those responsible will be punished with full severity of the law”. “Arrests are in progress,” he added.
The horrific vigilante attack on factory in Sialkot & the burning alive of Sri Lankan manager is a day of shame for Pakistan. I am overseeing the investigations & let there be no mistake all those responsible will be punished with full severity of the law. Arrests are in progress
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 3, 2021
Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Chief Minister (SACM) Hasaan Khawar revealed in a presser that the factory workers allegedly tortured the manager and the police reached the incident site as soon as they were informed regarding it.
“We will take action if police’s negligence is proved in the case,” he said. “The incident with the Sri Lankan factory manager was unfortunate,” the spokesman for the Punjab government said and added that a high-level inquiry has been ordered into it by the chief minister Punjab.
He further shared that nearly 50 people have been arrested over their alleged involvement in the entire episode as authorities are also looking into the CCTV footage to make further arrests.
PM’s special aide on religious harmony Tahir Ashrafi, during the presser, alongside him condemned the entire incident and said that those involved in the Sialkot episode have defamed the teachings of the religion.
“This is an attempt to hurt blasphemy laws in the country,” he said while sharing that no case has been registered in the ongoing year under these laws. “There is a law to deal with this issue and no one could be allowed to take the law into his own hand,” he said.
The incident took place on Wazirabad Road in Sialkot, where the workers of private factories attacked the export manager of a factory — who was a resident of the city — and burnt his body after killing him .
Sialkot District Police Officer Umar Saeed Malik identified the man as Priyantha Kumara, a Sri Lankan national. Videos shared on social media showed hundreds of men and young boys gathered at the site, with groups of them chanting slogans.
