Pakistan: Frenzied mob in Sialkot lynches Sri Lankan, burns body; PM Imran Khan calls it a 'day of shame'

Islamabad: A frenzied mob in Sialkot in Pakistan tortured a Sri Lankan factory manager to death and then burnt his body in public allegedly over allegations of blasphemy. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has termed it "a day of shame", even as Punjab Police said they have arrested 100 suspects.

The incident took place on Wazirabad Road in Sialkot on Friday. The Sri Lankan, identified as Priyantha Kumara, was a senior manager at a leading Sialkot factory that manufactures and exports sports products.

Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry has demanded “required action to investigate and ensure justice” while Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation into the incident saying the environment enabling abuse must be rectified.

The Sri Lankan apparently tore up a poster of the hardline Islamist party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in which Quranic verses were inscribed and threw it in the dustbin.

The poster of the Islamist party was pasted on a wall adjoining Kumara’s office. Some factory workers saw him removing the poster and spread the word.

Rumours of blasphemy spread among the factory workers and they first came out of the installation to protest on the road. The mob then re-entered the factory and tortured the victim, beating him to death.

After killing the manager, the mob then dragged the body out and set it on fire in the middle of a road.

The employees also vandalised the factory and blocked traffic, according to police. Upon receiving a report of the incident, a heavy contingent of police reached the spot and tried to control the situation.

PM Imran Khan, in a statement on Twitter, 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.

Imran Khan said he is 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 Inter-Services Public Relations in a statement on behalf of Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa termed the incident a "cold blooded murder".

"The cold blooded murder of Sri Lankan [national], Mr Priyantha Kumara, by a mob in Sialkot is extremely condemnable and shameful," the statement said.

"Such extra judicial vigilantism cannot be condoned at any cost," it added.

The ISPR said that Gen Bajwa has directed the army to extend "all out support to civil administration to arrest perpetrators of this heinous crime and bring them to justice".

The owner of the factory described Kumara as a "hardworking and honest" production manager.

He said that he had not received any complaints regarding the manager. "When I received word of the incident, Priyantha Kumara had already been lynched by the mob," he added, Geo News said.

The owner said the police were alerted to the outbreak of violence "at approximately 10:45am" and the first group of officers that arrived were a small bunch.

"Before additional forces arrived, Priyantha had already been killed," the owner said.

He said Kumara had joined the factory as General Manager Production in 2013.

Punjab Police said on Twitter on Friday evening that "more than 100 people have been arrested", including the "prime suspect".

Raids are under way to arrest the remaining culprits, the statement added.

The police tweeted two photos of an accused, named Farhan Idrees, who earlier appeared on one of the viral videos and supported the violence against the Sri Lankan national.

Graphic videos on social media show the frenzied mob beating the lifeless body of the Sri Lankan and also taking videos of the horrific scene. One of the videos shows a mob standing by a body on fire. They can be seen chanting slogans afterwards.

The mob continued to rampage on the Wazirabad Road for some time.

When the police arrived at the spot they moved the charred remains to hospital.

Amnesty International's South Asia division in a statement said it is "deeply alarmed by the disturbing lynching and killing" of the Sri Lankan over a blasphemy accusation.

It demanded that authorities immediately conduct an independent, impartial and prompt investigation and hold the perpetrators accountable. (UNI)