Expressing his deep shock at the brutal murder of a Sri Lankan national in Sialkot, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa Saturday said that his country and people were confident that Prime Minister Imran Khan will bring all those involved in the incident to justice.
PM Mahinda Rajapaksa took to Twitter to condemn the horrific Friday incident that saw a mob torture and kill Priyantha Diyawadana, an expat factory manager working in Sialkot, over blasphemy allegations.
“Shocking to see the brutal and fatal attack on Priyantha Diyawadana by extremist mobs in Pakistan. My heart goes out to his wife and family,” he wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said he is in contact with his Sri Lankan counterpart and has assured him of justice to the victim's family.
"Sri Lanka has appreciated Pakistan's quick response towards the incident," Qureshi said, adding that the family has also been approached and "we will satisfy them completely".
The incident
Priyantha Kumara, working as a manager at a private factory in Sialkot, was tortured to death on Friday by a mob after being accused of blasphemy.
The gruesome incident was dubbed by Prime Minister Imran Khan as "a day of shame for Pakistan".
Workers of a garment industry, located on Sialkot’s Wazirabad Road, had alleged that the foreigner had committed blasphemy. He was subsequently lynched and his body set on fire.
The mob had also vandalised the factory and blocked traffic, according to police.
The brutal murder drew widespread condemnation from senior government functionaries, including the prime minister and president, as well as the military's top leadership, who promised to bring all those involved to the book.
Two suspects 'confess' to lynching Sri Lankan factory manager
Meanwhile, two key suspects have "confessed" to their involvement in the torture and killing of a Sri Lankan factory manager, well-placed sources told Geo News on Saturday.
During initial interrogation, two suspects, identified as Farhan and Talha, "admitted" their role in the brutal attack on the foreign national, police said.
Sources privy to the investigation said the Punjab government has presented an initial report to the prime minister.
Police have identified 13 key suspects involved in the attack with the help of other managers of the factory where the incident took place. The suspects have been shifted to an undisclosed place for further investigation.
Those who incited the mob have also been taken into custody by police, the sources added.