Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak is being criticised for his insensitive statement on the Sialkot tragedy wherein he said that emotions and anger among young people led to the killing of the Sri Lankan national, and it was not a big deal.
While talking to the media, in Peshawar on Sunday, he said that young people are often unable to control their sentiments which leads to fights and even ‘murder’. He added that he too was very emotional when he was youthful and would have done anything in the name of religion.
He was responding to a question by a reporter, who asked the minister’s opinion on the link between the Sialkot incident and the government’s recent deal with the Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP). Khattak responded by saying that the incident cannot be linked to the government’s decision to lift the ban on the outlawed TLP as it was the result of heightened passion among youngsters over a religious issue.
He then questioned the media’s roles in shaping narratives, saying that anchors should educate young people about their religion and guide them. He added that the media engaged in making money and attacking the governments while ignoring important issues such as education, healthcare, and religion.
The statement by the minister generated strong criticism from people on social media.
Meet another 'vigilante' of @ImranKhanPTI, Pervez Khattak, the Minister of defense of Pakistan.
He considers this mob lynching & the brutal murder of Priyantha Kumara, is a very normal thing, particularly when one is young, emotional & a Muslim.pic.twitter.com/KZkRcVp5OK
— Mona Farooq Ahmad (@MFChaudhryy) December 5, 2021
One social media user asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to dismiss Khattak for the insensitive statement.
I call upon Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI to dismiss Pervaiz Khattak from position of the Defence Minister of Pakistan for justifying the inhuman murder of #PriyanthaKumara pic.twitter.com/du3geC9hQK
— Zahid F. Ebrahim (@zfebrahim) December 5, 2021
Politician Bushra Gohar said that Khattak should be ‘tried for justifying the barbaric Sialkot mob lynching’.
#PuppetDefenceMinister #PervaizKhattak should be tried for justifying the barbaric #Sialkot mob lynching & encouraging public to take law into their hands. Shows how serious #PuppetGovernment is in ensuring #JusticeForPriyantha. #GayaPakistan @EU_Commission @UNHumanRights @UN https://t.co/2oYFuZ7PER
— Bushra Gohar (@BushraGohar) December 6, 2021
Another user said that the rot was top-down.
Defence Minister of Pakistan Pervaiz Khattak effectively describing the brutal lynching of SL Manager, Priyantha Kumara, as 'boys will be boys'. Yes you read that right.
Khattak said kids do such things in the passion which doesn’t mean things are bad. The rot is top-down. https://t.co/4rpEJxHrlS
— Priyansha | प्रियांशा (@_Priyansha__) December 6, 2021
https://twitter.com/BandhiniF/status/1467738547494928385
One netizen said the minister issued the statement to appease “future allies TLP”.
Defense Minister of Pakistan and a member of @ImranKhanPTI Cabinet has come up with a strange logic just to defend his future allies TLP. According to pervaiz khattak, Lynching of Srilankan Manager is a common thing especially when TLP Kids were Religiously charged in emotions🥴 pic.twitter.com/shpHEYF1lQ
— Aatif Astrologer🏹 (@AatifAzio1) December 5, 2021
Pervaiz Khattak’s statement about Sialkot incident is pathetic and inhumane.
— Arbab GM (@ArbabGM) December 6, 2021
Earlier, 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.
