Sialkot tragedy: We are ashamed, ask Sri Lankan nation for forgiveness, Maulana Tariq Jameel says

ISLAMABAD: Renowned religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jameel on Wednesday asked for forgiveness from the Sri Lankan nation on behalf of Pakistan, saying that the country is "ashamed" over the Sialkot tragedy.

Jameel's remarks came during a visit to the Sri Lankan High Commission with Prime Minister's Special Representative on Religious Harmony Maulana Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi where the two conveyed their condolences over the brutal murder of Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara.

During the meeting  Jameel condemned the act and said, "Our religion does not allow this.”

“Islam is a religion of peace and a message of love,” he said, adding that "killing an innocent person" is strictly forbidden in the religion.

Talking to journalists after the meeting, Jameel said that they sought an apology from the Sri Lankan nation over the incident. As per our religion, the killer of an innocent person and one who profits from interest deserve severe punishment, he added.

He urged the people to recite the Holy Quran to understand the message of Allah.

Jameel, in a message for the people of Sri Lanka, added: "We are ashamed that our people did such a thing. We humbly ask for the Sri Lankan nation's forgiveness."

Speaking on the occasion, Maulana Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi said, “We came here to seek apology from the Sri Lankan high commissioner.”

He said that the factory will bear the education expenses of Diyawadana’s children. The majority of those involved in the lynching incident could not even read the “Kalma” appropriately, he added.