LAHORE, Pakistan — The second key suspect, who incited the crowd to torture Sri Lankan manager Priyantha Kumara to death in Sialkot over suspected blasphemy, was apprehended on Saturday.
According to reports, suspect Talha has been sent to an undisclosed location for questioning. With the use of CCTV, police officials have detained over 100 people so far for the murder of the manager.
Earlier, Special Assistant to Chief Minister (SACM) on Information Hasaan Khawar expressed sadness over the assassination of a Sri Lankan citizen at a news conference accompanied by Special Representative of the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony Maulana Tahir Ashrafi and IG Punjab.
He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Bazdar had ordered a probe into the event, and that those responsible will face consequences.
Offering his sympathies to the victim’s family, Ashrafi said that the country’s religious experts will convene a joint news conference to denounce the incident shortly. “We’ll also pay our sympathies to the Sri Lankan ambassador,” he continued.
The Incident
In Sialkot, a mob tortured and burned a Sri Lankan national to death. Workers from private manufacturers attacked the factory’s export manager and set fire to his corpse over alleged blasphemy on Sialkot’s Wazirabad Road.
To put the situation under control, police were dispatched to the neighbourhood. The individual was a Sri Lankan national, according to Sialkot district police official Umar Saeed Malik.
“Traffic was restored on the route after successful negotiations with the irate group of demonstrators,” a police officer stated.