Two days after the brutal lynching of Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot in Pakistan over accusations of blasphemy, Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak attempted to justify the heinous crime.
In a video shared on social media by journalist Hamza Azhar Salam, the Pakistani Minister was heard as saying, “There were children, adults who were influenced by the Islamic faith. They get agitated and take action out of passion. This does not mean that it was a reaction to an action. Everyone has their own thought process. They raised slogans that it was an act of blasphemy. They got angry and killed him. This doesn’t mean that the (social fabric) of the society has broken.”
He further added, “Please explain to people that it is a matter of Faith. Even I can come under its influence and commit a crime. But it did not mean that Pakistan is en route the road to destruction.” Pervaiz Khattak not only tried to downplay the brutality of the act of lynching but insinuated that taking life in the name of Faith was justified. He also suggested that the merciless killing of Priyantha Kumara did not mean anything significant (in terms of radicalisation) of the Pakistani society.
The Defence Minister of Pakistan Pervaiz Khattak justifies the murder of #SrilankanManager, Priyantha Kumara who was brutally murdered by a violent mob. Khattak says that kids do such things in passion which doesn’t mean things are bad.#Sialkot #Sialkot_incident #Sialkottragedy pic.twitter.com/lWTaYQn8bD
— Hamza Azhar Salam (@HamzaAzhrSalam) December 5, 2021
Sialkot mob lynching case and aftermath
On Friday, a Sri Lankan man Priyantha Kumara was tortured and burnt to death by a murderous Islamist mob over rumours of blasphemy. The incident took place on Wazirabad Road in Sialkot, where the workers attacked the export manager of a factory and burnt his body after killing him. In a video, the frenzied mob could be heard chanting “Nara e Taqbeer” and “Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah”. Other slogans that were heard included ‘gustakh-e-nabi ki ek hi saza, sar tan se juda sar tan se juda’.
Following diplomatic pressure from the Sri Lankan government, Pakistan was forced to act on the Islamists who killed Priyantha Kumara. With the help of CCTV footage, the police were able to apprehend 235 people for partaking in the heinous crime. According to reports, 900 workers of the Rajco Industries were booked under Sections 302, 297, 201, 427, 431, 157, 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Sections 7 and 11WW of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The arrests were made based on a complaint that was filed by Uggoki Station House Officer (SHO) Armaghan Maqt. Eyewitnesses had conceded that Priyantha did not commit any act of blasphemy and was fabricated by ‘mischievous’ factory workers.
It is notable here that murders, vandalism and arson over vague allegations of blasphemy is a regular phenomenon in Pakistan. Last year, a USA citizen named Tahir Naseem was killed inside a courtroom during the hearing of a blasphemy case. Naseem had been jailed over vague allegations of blasphemy and his murderer was hailed by Pakistanis as a hero.
