A bitter mark

The barbarous lynching in Sialkot should be a cause of immense shame to the people of this country and its government. Can one blame non-Muslims for thinking that Muslims are not peaceful after such brutality, no one can blame them.

It seems that the government has completely failed to protect its citizens. It is shocking that by the time police received the first call regarding the incident, the man had already been killed. How can the government then claim that the country is safe for foreigners? As for the spectators and the ‘proud’ people who were making videos, would they be as indifferent if a Muslim was treated in this manner in another country? That we belong to such a society is a matter of shame. Religious leaders must speak up and condemn this act. The government too should ensure that the victim and his family are given due justice.

Jahangir Jameel

Multan

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Much has been said about the unfortunate Sialkot incident. One thing that is clear is that the PTI government’s too-lenient handling of the TLP in the past is partially to be blamed for it. One fears that another wave of protests will erupt, demanding the release of the culprits. The government should chalk out a strategy to deal with such disruption pre-emptively.

Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) should be imposed in Punjab to prohibit any unlawful gathering. The police should be on guard with standing instructions to disperse such gatherings. If this trend of lynching people under mere allegations is not checked in time, it may become an easy means to settle personal scores.

Khalid Ismail

Islamabad