Sialkot incident : Will Priyantha’s killers receive maximum punishment ?

On December 3, initial footage of a frenzied mob flocking around an individual on Wazirabad Road, Sialkot in Pakistan eventually beating him to death went viral on social media. The beating continued amidst chants of ‘kaafir ke bachche me Quran ki ayatein dustbin mein fainki hain’ which translates to ‘son of a Kaafir has thrown verses of Quran in the dustbin’. Video evidence thereafter showed how the mob resorted to burning the lifeless body while some spectators took selfies with burning corpse. The victim, Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana has been accused of blasphemy, but there are several versions to the reason for this flare-up. However, the Pakistani Government is continuing to investigate the matter, while his remains are being brought down to Sri Lanka.

The mysterious killing 

Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana has been an employee at RajCo Industries, one of the leading sportswear manufacturers in the country that even sponsors cricketing gear to the Pakistan cricket team. While the management has remained silent to date, the postmortem report revealed that all bones in his body were broken and 99% of the body was charred. Skull and jaw fractures were highlighted as the cause of death. But due to the attack his vital organs including stomach, liver and one of the kidneys were affected. Barring one foot, every part of his body sustained severe injuries. His spinal cord was also broken at three different points. 

However, footage published two days after the incident shows how at least one person, identified as Malik Adnan, trying to save Priyantha’s life. Following the incident, several rights groups organised demonstrations in Karachi and Lahore holding placards that read ‘Sorry Sri Lanka’ and ‘Shame #Sialkot’. 

Condolences and promises 

At the onset of the incident Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted saying that it was a day of shame for Pakistan. “I am overseeing the investigations and let there be no mistake. All those responsible will be punished with full severity of the law. Arrests are in progress,” the Tweet read. So far over 235 people have been arrested in relation to the incident and a First Information Report has been filed against 900 garment factory workers. 
Subsequently President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Namal Rajapaksa also issued statements condemning the incident and condoling with the family of the deceased. The Tweets read that they vest their confidence on the Pakistani Government and ensure that everybody involved will be brought to justice. 

The matter was also discussed in Parliament and several Ministers in the ruling party and opposition also expressed sorrow. 

Subsequently, special arrangements were made to bring down the remains of the deceased in a special SriLankan Airlines flight on Monday.

‘My brother is accused of blasphemy, so that culprits could escape the law’ : Kamalsiri Diyawadana

Priyantha’s house at Kandaliyadda Paluwa, Ganemulla is already a funeral house as crowds await the arrival of his remains. Politicians, clergy and prominent personalities continue to visit the house and express condolences and extend support to the family. But the family has lost its beloved ‘sudu mahaththaya’. His elder brother Kamalsiri Shantha Kumara Diyawadana told the Daily Mirror that the two governments should look at ensuring the safety of the rest of Sri Lankans and foreigners in Pakistan.

Excerpts of the interview  with Kamalsiri: 

QWhen did he leave for Pakistan?  

He went to work at a factory in Faisalabad in 2010. After a year he was recruited at the factory he was working until present. He was handling the entire operation and worked as General Manager – Operations. He was the second-in-command after the owner. When he started working there this factory just had around 500 machines but now it has expanded its capacity with around 1500 machines. 

It was Priyantha who developed it to this capacity with his knowledge in industrial engineering which he studied at Peradeniya University. These factories were operated using traditional methods and they were quite new to industrial engineering technologies. Even though Priyantha tried to return to be with his family, the owner kept him from doing so. 

Q Are you his only sibling ?

No. My elder brother is in Karachi and we have two other elder sisters. I’m the fourth in the family and we have a younger sister and Priyantha is the youngest. 

QWas he working at garment factories right throughout ?

Yes he was initially employed at Brandix and later left for Pakistan. From time to time he would return to see his family. His last trip to Sri Lanka was in 2019. Due to the pandemic he couldn’t return. 

QDid the family visit him in Pakistan?

Myself and my elder brother have been working there for sometime. But his wife and children didn’t go since the children are schooling. 

QWas he in contact with the family?

Yes, he used to take calls regularly.

Q Did he mention about any issues he was facing lately?

Not at all. In these factories they launch strikes all of a sudden. They have unions and other groups. But they don’t have any prior plan. They usually organise strikes on Fridays since almost everybody goes to the mosque. Eventually people on the road will also join the strike. 

QDo you know the reason for this flare-up?

According to the details I have this incident occurred around the time people were going to the mosque. The employees had wanted to speak to the management regarding their wages, but the Managing Director had not been in the country. As a result the employees had started shouting outside the factory and he had been in his office. During the upheaval, somebody may have said that there’s no point in shouting and subsequently they have pulled him out of his office on to the street, taken off his cloths and hit him on his head. Thereafter they have burnt the body. Some even claim that the police had been watching, but we do not know if these facts are true.

QThen why do media reports claim that the incident occurred after he tore down a poster of a radical Islamic group?

That is a false allegation. If they kill someone who is a non-Muslim the reason is that he is accused of blasphemy. That excuse is used by perpetrators to escape the law. Because in those countries when a person is accused of blasphemy the courts and Police too remain silent. They won’t even question them if they have weapons either. Priyantha worked there for 10 years and was it only on that day that he wanted to tear a poster. Besides they write these posters in Arabic and who knows what they have written in them? People are not allowed to put up posters inside the factory as well. We know that we are in a Muslim country and why should we tear a poster? When we asked from our contacts they said that it was a wage issue that put the mob in a frenzy.

QDo you think they will punish culprits?

The President’s Media Division spoke to me recently and according to them the Pakistan Prime Minister has said that they have lost an exemplary professional. But they are trying to accuse him of blasphemy and escape the law. I would like to request the Sri Lankan Government to work with the Pakistani Government and ensure that another incident of a similar nature won’t be repeated. We lost our brother and he would never return. There are more foreigners working there and we urge the government to take serious action against the perpetrators. Other Sri Lankans in Pakistan are now living in fear.

QAre there many Sri Lankans working there?

Yes there are many working in Karachi. There are a few in Faisalabad, but Priyantha was the only Sri Lankan in Sialkot. They recruit Sri Lankans for higher positions and usually after the Chairman and Managing Director it is a Sri Lankan who leads an Executive position. In Karachi there are around 500 Sri Lankans there. 

QAre you satisfied with the manner in which the media reported the incident?

I couldn’t watch the news, but I have urged all television stations to refrain from publishing footage related to the incident. People have started sending these videos to us and questioning us about the incident. This is not good for his family and even his children will be affected as they have to go to school. 

QWhat was the reason for him to leave for Pakistan?

Mainly the salary. But now we are not sure if we would return because we are concerned about our security.

 
QDid the family receive threats after the incident?

We were told that the mob was looking for us as well. My elder brother had left to Sialkot, but he was stopped in Lahore as the authorities have said that the situation is out of control. Thereafter he has returned to Karachi, but has evacuated his previous place of residence and his factory management has provided him with security. He too would return in the same flight the remains are brought in. We are having second thoughts about returning.

QHow is the family reacting to the incident?

We are in shock. We still haven’t informed our mother regarding the incident as she would always inquire about her younger son. We told her that he had passed away after contracting COVID and that the body would be sealed when it’s being brought down to Sri Lanka. Priyantha would call her every two weeks and if he failed to call her she would inquire about her ‘sudu mahaththaya’. 

“Pakistan’s blasphemy laws have been weaponised for political gains” : Pakistani activist 

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mirror, Usama Khilji, Member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Systemic Inequality and Social Cohesion and columnist at The Dawn, Pakistan said that the Sialkot incident is a tragedy that is rooted in multiple layers of impunity for those who weaponise blasphemy for personal goals. Mob violence has been fanned up by radical groups that have managed to break the monopoly of violence by the state.  Excerpts of the interview done with Usama Khilji.  

QWhat sort of a relationship has successive governments had with radical Islamist groups?

Radical religious groups in Pakistan have always had massive street power, and the power to blackmail any government under the pretext of religion, often for political gains. In that vein, governments have often vowed down to such groups in order to not be seen as anti-Islam which is the tag such groups attempt to put on governments. It’s a classic example of pandering to the right-wing clergy for political survival.

It is unfortunate that successive governments have not been able to establish the writ of the state and have often forgiven violent groups for political expediency, but also to protect themselves from violent attacks. A Governor and federal minister have been assassinated in the past for supporting vulnerable accused in blasphemy cases, and another federal minister was shot and survived in the last government.

QSo far over 200 individuals have been arrested in relation to this incident. There’s video evidence as well. However there are opposing views with regards to how perpetrators are being punished. Some don’t serve a maximum jail term. Do you think they will be brought before the law and given strict punishments?

It is hoped that the perpetrators of this heinous crime will be brought before the law and punished accordingly. However, history shows that those accused of murder in blasphemy related cases get a lot of support from religious political parties, and are even celebrated as heroes. Radicalism has seeped into all segments of society, given the state’s constant pandering to them, and forgiving of violent groups that challenges the writ of the state such as the TLP that the murderers in this case sought to support, even though the party itself has distanced itself from the attack. Recently a mob burnt down a police station because the police was protecting a blasphemy accused.

QCould you shed some light on blasphemy laws in the country and how the laws have favoured the existence of these groups?

The blasphemy laws have been weaponised for political gain, and the passion people have for religion is often exploited through these laws with impunity. This has empowered people socially to demand excessive punishments for people that are accused of blasphemy often for personal vendettas, and
when the state does not deliver “justice” they expect, the law is often taken into the hands of angry vigilante mobs.

QEven though no law can bring back the dead, is there any sort of legal assistance that the victim’s family could seek? If so what are the approaches and procedures?

There are several non-profit organisations that help victims of such cases, such as the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) that fights cases pro-Bono for victims and their families. The government also seems to be eager to help the family of the victim get justice, but that would also require public pressure that is visible in Pakistan right now. There is a huge segment of the population that opposes the exploitation of blasphemy laws and want justice for victims in such cases. 

QWith the current trend, do you think Pakistan is a safe place for foreign employment?

The unfortunate truth is that nobody is safe from blasphemy laws and blasphemy allegations in Pakistan that are routinely exploited for personal goals with malicious intent. One has to steer clear from groups with such potential. There are several foreigners employed in Pakistan, but this case may have them reconsider their decision.

• The victim, Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana has been accused of blasphemy, but there are several versions to the reason for this flare-up
• Following the incident, several rights groups organised demonstrations in Karachi and Lahore holding placards that read ‘Sorry Sri Lanka’ and ‘Shame #Sialkot’
• So far over 235 people have been arrested in relation to the incident and a First Information Report has been filed against 900 garment factory workers
• In countries like Pakistan when a person is accused of blasphemy the courts and Police too 
• remain silent

Rights groups demand justice 

Several rights groups in Sri Lanka arrived at the Pakistan High Commission on Monday and handed over a letter to the Pakistan Ambassador to Sri Lanka urging the Pakistan government to carry out an impartial investigation on take perpetrators before the law. Furthermore the letter demanded the Pakistan government to pay compensation to the family of the deceased . 

Speaking to the media, Nimal Tissa Wijetunga representing the Deshapremi Vidwath Sansadaya said that they received a positive response from the High Commission and that they have verbally promised to pay compensation to the family. 

Several members of the clergy and other religious faiths also met with the Acting High Commissioner of Sri Lanka further discussing bilateral relations, the years long friendship the two countries have had and requested officials to serve justice to the victim’s family. 

The passing away of a gentleman 

Diyawadana was known to have shown exemplary leadership while working in various places of employment. Some of his previous colleagues who wished to remain anonymous told this paper how he was an inspiration and a mentor to them. Several of his Pakistani colleagues took to social media recalling how Diyawadana helped them out in the past. In a social media status one of his colleagues recalled how Diyawadana would give his official vehicle during an emergency. He has also provided financial support to employees at times of need.

Demonstrations held in Pakistan