Pakistan says key suspects in Sialkot lynching arrested, Friday announced as ‘day of condemnation’

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has said all key suspects involved in the lynching of a Sri Lankan man in Sialkot last week over alleged blasphemy had been arrested while clerics from the All Pakistan Ulema Council with representation from all sects said Friday would be observed as a “day of condemnation” against the killing.
Priyantha Kumara, who worked as a manager at a garment factory in the city of Sialkot, was attacked and killed by a Muslim mob last Friday. The crowd also publicly burned his body over what police have said are accusations he desecrated religious posters.
Blasphemy is considered a deeply sensitive issue in Pakistan and carries the death penalty. International and domestic rights groups say accusations of blasphemy have often been used to intimidate religious minorities and settle personal scores.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Qari Hafeez Jalandhari, general secretary of the Wafaq-ul-Madaris, requested all religious scholars to reiterate the “true teaching” of Islam during the Friday sermon at mosques and imam bargahs across the country as part of the “day of condemnation.”
“We want clerics to remind people that Islam is the religion of peace and love,” he said. “We want them to remind people of the rights of minorities.”
On Tuesday, while addressing a memorial service for Kumara, Prime Minister Imran Khan said: “The government will not spare anyone who tries to use religion, particularly the name of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), to sommit violence. Such instances will not be allowed to take place on my watch.”
The prime minister also presented a certificate of appreciation to Malik Adnan, an employee in Sialkot who tried to shield Kumara from the mob.
“One moral man is an army,” Khan said as he praised Adnan for his bravery and called him an inspiration for Pakistani youth.
Adnan said he was dedicating the award to Kumara and the people of Sri Lanka.
“Today I am very proud and my message to the nation is that whenever you encounter such a situation, always stand with the oppressed,” Adnan said, adding that this was the lesson he had been taught by his parents and teachers.
Meeting with religious leaders on Tuesday, the high commissioner to Pakistan from Sri Lanka said his government was “very satisfied” with the steps taken by the government of Pakistan since the incident, which he added would not affect relations between the two countries.