Sialkot lynching: Pakistan police arrests 100 suspects after pressure from Sri Lankan govt

After Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sugeeshwara Gunaratna pressed Pakistan into taking legal actions against the dastardly lynching of a Sri Lankan national in Sialkot, Pakistan, by a mob of frenzied Islamic hardliners. Imran Khan-led government on Friday detained as many as 100 suspects linked to the case. The Pakistani mob earlier yesterday lynched factory workers, including a Sri Lankan export manager named Priyantha Kumara, labelling him a 'blasphemer' and setting his body ablaze.

Law enforcement authorities in Pakistan's Punjab drafted a team of 10 and launched a search to identify the perpetrators of the nerve-wracking mob lynching incident, stressing that they would investigate "all aspects". The arrests came after the IG ordered officials to submit a report within 48 hours, reported Samaa TV. Among the hundred detained in relation to the case is prime suspect Farhan Idrees, informed the provincial police chief, who has been supervising the mission. 

“In the Sialkot incident, police have arrested Farhan Idrees, one of the main accused involved in torture and incitement. More than 100 people have been arrested. IG Punjab is supervising the whole matter,” the Punjab Police official wrote on Twitter.

Hasaan Khawar, a spokesperson of the Punjab government, revealed that at least 100 have been arrested in connection with Sri Lankan national’s mob lynching, many of whom were identified via the CCTV footages, Samaa TV reported, according to ANI.

While several Pakistani government representatives condemned the act, calling for the culprits to be punished for the barbarism, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Twitter that it was "a day of shame" for Pakistan and that those involved in the crime that occurred in the Wazirabad Road area would be arrested. 

In the gruesome footages of the incident floating across the social media, workers of private factories were seen brutally attacking the export manager of a factory, while they later charred his body after killing him. They also overturned the wreckage of what appears to be his car and took selfies in front of his burning corpse. The unruly mob then vandalized the factory and blocked traffic, Geo TV reported citing the police sources.

The men could be heard chanting slogans "Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah" while mercilessly thrashing the prone victim, a Sri Lankan man. A heavy contingent of police reached the location where the incident occurred. "After successful talks with the angry group of protesters, traffic was resumed on the road," the police official was quoted as saying by Geo TV. 

Punjab police calls incident 'sensitive, unfortunate'

Punjab police IG called the incident "sensitive and unfortunate," Pakistan’s 24 news reported. President of Pakitan Arif Alvi appreciated the police response and the "prompt action" taken by prime minister Imran Khan and his government.

Taking to his Twitter handle, Alvi wrote, "The Sialkot incident is definitely very sad and shameful, and not religious in any way whatsoever.” Furthermore, he said, “Islam is a religion that established cannons of deliberative justice rather than mob lynchings”. 

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, deriding the act said on Twitter: “The horrific vigilante attack on a factory in Sialkot and the burning alive of Sri Lankan manager is a day of shame for Pakistan. I am overseeing the investigations and let there be no mistake all those responsible will be punished with the full severity of the law. Arrests are in progress.”

He stressed, ”all those responsible will be punished with full severity of the law”.

Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations issued a statement obtained by Geo TV on behalf of Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, who condemned the "cold-blooded murder".

"The cold-blooded murder of Sri Lankan [national], Mr Priyantha Kumara, by a mob in Sialkot is extremely condemnable and shameful, such extra judicial vigilantism cannot be condoned at any cost," the statement read. 

Sri Lanka man 'hardworking and honest', Pak's police arrived in small number initially 

Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sugeeshwara Gunaratna told Sri Lankan media outlet News 1st that the country's High Commission in Islamabad is in the process of verifying the details of the incident from Pakistan authorities, as Sri Lanka also demanded stern action from Pakistan.

Sources told Pakistan’s Geo TV that Kumara was a "hardworking and honest" production manager and by the time his colleagues received the news of his brutal attack, his body was already set on fire by the Islamic hardliner mob.

An eyewitness told the outlet that when the police were alerted to the outbreak of violence, it was already too late. The witness also informed that only a very small bunch of officers arrived at the scene initially. They were joined by additional forces later.

The Sri Lankan man was employed as General Manager Production in 2013. The incident comes as Pakistan registers umpteen blasphemy cases against religious minorities like Hindus, Christians, Shia and Ahmadiya Muslims that continues to be a cause of concern for rights activists.