Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Mian Imran Akbar has said that ‘personal vendetta’ on part of some workers may have led to the lynching of the Sri Lankan man in Sialkot.
In a statement, he said, “Studying the details of the case, it was found that Priyantha was a thorough professional known for his stern production standards and that the personal vendetta on part of some labourers in the garb of alleged religious tilt led to the lynching and torching”.
He added that every section should abide by the law and ethics to protect the social fabric of the country.
The statement further quoted Akbar as saying, “December 03 would go down as a dark day in the history of the bustling city…there was no place for fanaticism and violence in the society and that the miscreants involved in such wicked acts did not belong to any religion, caste, creed”.
On Friday, a mob in Sialkot brutally murdered a Sri Lankan man and set his body on fire over blasphemy allegations. Priyantha Kumara, the export manager of a private factory, was attacked by workers of the factory on Wazirabad road in Sialkot.
The episode has generated a lot of anger among citizens, on social media, with many blaming the government’s policies of appeasing extremist groups for a rise in incidents of violence.
Pakistanis have absolutely no reason to feel ashamed for having set fire to a live man. Priyantha had a Hindu sounding name. He was a Christian. He had committed blasphemy. He was killed. Justice was dispensed. Move on to the next case.