Sialkot lynching: Senate passes resolution condemning attack

The Senate unanimously passed on Friday a resolution condemning the mob attack on Sri Lankan citizen Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot.

The resolution moved by the Leader of the House in the Senate Shahzad Waseem, reiterated that extremism is condemnable in all its forms and manifestations, Radio Pakistan reported.

“The House expresses its deepest sympathies with the bereaved family of Priyantha Kumara,” the resolution said.

The resolution further said this brutality is sheer violation of the principles, teachings and injunctions of Islam, the practices of Holy Prophet (PUBH), moral and human values, constitution and laws of Pakistan and customs and norms of our society.

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The resolution also demanded immediate punishment of not only the culprits involved in instigating and killing Kumara but also those involved in similar violent incidents in the past.

Earlier in December, a mob of people described as “employees” of a garment factory in Sialkot had tortured and killed their Sri Lankan manager in factory premises and set his body on fire over blasphemy accusations.

Video footage that went viral on social media showed that the mob first brutally beat up the foreign national, inside the factory and then dragged his corpse on the road and set it on fire.

Talking to media, two men – Muhammad Talha and Muhammad Farhan – who introduced themselves as colleagues of Priyantha alleged that the factory workers became annoyed when the victim (operations manager) came to the factory and tore off a poster inscribed with Holy verses and dumped it into a dustbin.

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They claimed that when other employees approached the foreman and informed him about the incident and Priyantha fled from the scene while talking on his cellphone. Meanwhile, they said, the factory worked surrounded and punished him for his “blasphemous” act.