Daily Times

National Council for Interfaith Peace & Harmony (NCIPH)on Sunday demanded of the government to carefully investigate the horrific vigilante attack in Sialkot and take stern action against those who attacked and killed the foreign national.

In an emergency meeting in Lahore, the National Council members collectively called the December 3 as the ‘day of shame’ for Pakistan, pointing out that crowd present on the spot was watching the brutality silently, and no one tried to rescue Priyantha Diyawadana, a Sri Lankan national who worked as general manager of a factory in Sialkot.

NCIPH leaders Javaid William, Mufti Syed Ashiq Hussain, Allama Shakeel Nasir, Dr Ruhiyeh Muffedi, Hafiz Zubair Ahmad, Prof Masood Ahmad, Prof Kalyan Singh, and other participants demanded that all those involved in the heinous crime must be brought to justice. Theycondemned the December 3 incident and asked the government to take measures to stop misuse of the laws.

During the meeting, representatives from different religions discussed in details the Sialkot incident and the government’s action, especially arrests and continuous raids to arrest more. “There is no room for violence and extremism in Islam,” they said, and urged citizens to remember message of peace and peaceful coexistence, acceptance and social harmony in daily life. In the statement, the NCIPH leaders said that taking the law into one’s hands on the basis of mere accusation was contrary to true religious teachings. Calling the Sialkot lynching a disgrace, they said that the incident was very unfortunate and an insult to human dignity. They said that the relevant government departments must ensure that such incidents do not happen in future.

They pointed out that accusations can often be exercised to settle personal vendettas, with minorities mainly the target. The participants said that they were deeply alarmed by the disturbing lynching and killing of a foreign worker. “There must not be any mistake and all those responsible must be punished with full severity of the law.

On the other hand, Youth National Council for Interfaith Peace & Harmony gathered at the Liberty roundabout to protest against mob lynching of the Sri Lankan national in Sialkot.With placards, the young participants chanted slogans to condemn rising trend of extremism. The placards inscribed with the demand of peace and against the extremism besides anguish at the brutal killing.