ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan court Monday sentenced six men to death and dozens more to jail terms ranging from two years to life for the brutal mob slaying of a Sri Lankan factory manager accused of blasphemy.
The vigilante attack in Sialkot last December caused outrage, with then prime minister Imran Khan calling it a “day of shame for Pakistan.”
Few issues are as galvanizing in Pakistan as blasphemy, and even the slightest suggestion of an insult to Islam can supercharge protests and incite lynchings.
On Monday, prosecutors said 88 of 89 people on trial for the murder of Priyantha Kumara had been convicted, with six sentenced to death, nine to life in prison and the rest to jail terms ranging from two to five years.
“The prosecution team worked very hard to present its case to the court and to reach this judgment,” Abdul Rauf Wattoo, the lead public prosecutor, told AFP.
“We are satisfied with the outcome.”
The trial was overseen by a special anti-terrorism court, established to speed up justice in high-profile cases that can otherwise spend years being processed.
At the time of the killing, local police officials told AFP that rumors spread that Kumara had torn down a religious poster and thrown it in the dustbin.
Several gruesome video clips shared on social media showed a mob beating the prone victim while chanting slogans against blasphemy.
Other clips showed his body being set ablaze.
Many in the mob made no attempt to hide their identity and some took selfies in front of the burning corpse.
Hafiz Israr ul Haq, lawyer for one of the men sentenced to death, called the verdict “unfair.”
“This was a case of mob violence and in such cases no individual’s role can be ascertained with certainty,” he told AFP.
Rights groups say accusations of blasphemy can often be wielded to settle personal vendettas, with minorities largely the target.
In April 2017, an angry mob lynched university student Mashal Khan when he was accused of posting blasphemous content online.
A Christian couple was lynched and their remains burnt in a kiln in Punjab in 2014 after being falsely accused of desecrating the Holy Qur’an.
Pakistan court sentences six men to death for Sri Lankan national’s lynching
https://arab.news/g48dc
Pakistan court sentences six men to death for Sri Lankan national’s lynching
- Priyantha Kumara was lynched by dozens of people who later set his body ablaze
- The incident had created a tough diplomatic situation for Pakistan last year
Pakistan spin out Australia in second T20I to take series
- Salman Agha’s 76 and Usman Khan’s 53 lift Pakistan to 198-5, their highest T20I total against Australia
- Pakistan’s spinners take all 10 wickets as Australia are bowled out for 108, sealing an unbeatable 2-0 series lead
LAHORE: Skipper Salman Agha hit his highest score in the shortest format before Pakistan’s spinners routed Australia by 90 runs in the second Twenty20 international in Lahore on Saturday.
Agha hit a 40-ball 76 and Usman Khan smashed a 36-ball 53 as Pakistan made 198-5, their highest-ever T20I total against Australia.
This was enough for Pakistan’s spin quintet who shared all ten wickets between them with Abrar Ahmed returning the best figures of 3-14 and Shadab Khan finishing with 3-26.
Australia were routed for 108 in 15.4 overs, giving Pakistan their biggest T20I victory over Australia eclipsing the 66-run win in Abu Dhabi in 2018.
“It has to be a perfect game,” said Agha. “We batted well and then were outstanding with the ball. Fielding was outstanding.”
The victory gives Pakistan an unbeatable 2-0 lead after they won the first match by 22 runs, also in Lahore, on Friday.
“We want to play in the same way, forget the 2-0 scoreline and come again with the same intensity and go to the World Cup with the same energy,” said Agha of the event starting in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.
This is Pakistan’s first T20I series win over Australia since 2018. The final match is on Sunday, also in Lahore.
Despite skipper Mitchell Marsh coming back after resting on Friday, the visiting batters had little answer to Pakistan’s spin assault.
Ahmed dismissed Marsh for 18, Josh Inglis for five and Matthew Short for 27.
Cameroon Green top scored with a 20-ball 35 before spinner Usman Tariq dismissed him on his way to figures of 2-16.
Marsh admitted Pakistan were better.
“Pakistan outplayed us,” said Marsh. “Hopefully, we can improve and come back tomorrow. They put us under great pressure in batting; it was probably a 160-170 wicket so they scored a big total.”
Earlier, Agha and Usman led Pakistan to a fighting total after they won the toss and batted.
Agha built the innings with Saim Ayub (11-ball 23) during a second wicket stand of 55 as Pakistan scored 72 runs in the power-paly.
Agha’s previous highest in all T20 cricket was 68 not out.
After Babar Azam failed with a five-ball two, Usman helped Agha add another quickfire 49 for the fourth wicket before Sean Abbott broke the stand.
Agha smashed four sixes and eight fours in his sixth Twenty20 half century.
Pakistan added a good 61 runs in the last five overs with Usman knocking two sixes and four fours in his second T20I half century while Shadab’s knock had two sixes and a four.
The Usman-Shadab fifth-wicket stand yielded 63 runs off just 39 balls.
Shadab finished with an unbeaten 20-ball 28.
Pacer Xavier Bartlett and spinner Matthew Kuhnemann were expensive, conceding 92 runs between them in their eight overs.
