Six more main accused held in Sialkot lynching case

LAHORE: The police arrested six more key accused in Sialkot lynching case during the ongoing raids, while condemnations from various sections of society continued pouring in on Sunday.

The chief minister ordered for further accelerating the legal proceedings against the accused and said that the investigation should be taken forward in a scientific manner. According to a spokesman, the police identified six key accused with the help of CCTV footage and mobile-phones data, and arrested them from the houses of their friends and relatives. These accused were seen in footage holding sticks in their hands and some were torturing the Sri Lankan manager.

The police spokesman said that so far 124 people had been arrested, out of which 19 were main culprits. The process of identifying those inciting violence and torturing the ill-fated foreigner was also under way.

Punjab CM Usman Buzdar and the IGP Punjab were personally monitoring the entire investigation process. SAARC Chambers of Commerce and Industry, an apex trade body in the region, Sunday strongly condemned the lynching of Sri Lankan general manager in a Sialkot factory.

President SAARC Chambers Iftikhar Ali Malik, in a condolences letter, addressed to President Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mehanda Rajapaksa, expressed deep concern and shock over the attack on Priyantha Kumara.

He also called upon the Pakistan government to ensure safety and protection of Sri Lankan national across country. Separately, Sialkot-based civil society vehemently condemned the brutal killing of Priyantha Diyawadana at the hands of fanatics.

“This shameless act committed by the violent mob at a factory in Sialkot is indicative of the sick mindset which is spreading its roots in the country and is being fostered and promoted by those who feel no responsibility towards state and society.

“These extremist trends which have nothing to do with Islam are, in fact, the most abominable, used by some evil forces for meeting their own nefarious designs,” a statement, issued to the press by the civil society in Sialkot, said.

Pakistan Civil Society Forum Layyah held a protest against the tragedy in Sialkot and called for addressing the causes of growing extremism. The civil society was joined by academicians, mostly college teachers, students and media persons.

In a rally held before the Press Club Layyah, well-known professors and former principals such as Prof Dr Muzammil Hussain Awan and Prof Zahoor Ghulam Thand, activists Mehr Zubair Lohanch, Khalid Khan and Saifullah Al-Hussaini and journalist Faridullah Chaudhry.

In a protest organised in Vehari by Pakistan Civil Society Forum against the Sialkot killing, the protesters said the incident damaged Pakistan's identity all over the world. Islam, they said, is a religion of peace and love. Such incidents have no place in Islam.

Chairman Anjuman Shehryan and General Secretary Vehari Press Club Shahid Mehmood Mirza, Chairman Private Schools Association Mian Jahanzeb Yousuf Advocate, Mirza Muhammad Khalid, Rana Usman, Chairman Markzi Anjuman-e-Tajiran Sajid Masood, President Anjuman-e-Shehryan Mehboob Chaudhry, General Secretary Sheikh Muhammad Adnan, President Anjuman-e-Tajiran Tahir Sharif Gujjar and Noshin Malik were among those protesting against the incident.