Fazl says he unconditionally condemns Sialkot lynching

ISLAMABAD: After coming under fire for issuing a statement over the lynching of a Sri Lankan national in Sialkot, JUIF chief Maulana Fazulr Rehman on Monday clarified that he "unconditionally condemns" the incident.

Speaking to the media before a meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders, Fazl said that while he condemned the tragedy, the question remains as to who would stop such incidents from occurring again.

"The state and the Constitution will have to become active [in dealing with such cases]," Fazl said, adding that even if his own party was in power, he would have still maintained that the government was at fault. Fazl went on to say that "whenever an incident is related to religion, it is exceptionally highlighted [in the media]."

"In a bid to stop such incidents from occurring again, we will have to bring a unified national discourse to the fore," he said. The PDM chief also said that he has never believed in forcing an ideology at gunpoint.