Sialkot incident

Letter December 07, 2021
Sialkot incident

KARACHI:

The cold-blooded killing of Priyantha Kumara Diyawadanaga, a Sri Lankan national working for a garment factory in Sialkot, has undoubtedly left an indelible scar on Pakistan’s image. Regrettably, this is not a unique incident as such vicious killings have occurred sporadically across the country from time to time.

It is a horrifying and poignant reminder of how the roots of extremisms run deep within the socio-economic fabric of Pakistan. The weaponisation of religion and squalid persecution in the name of Islam is strictly forbidden and against the teachings of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Pakistan has a diverse ethno-socio and religio-political landscape. The current reality that we face is that intolerance and violence have bred catastrophe and continue to damage Pakistan’s international reputation. Therefore, there is a strong need to reconstruct the misplaced religious thought by educating people of the right form of Islamic jurisprudence. This complicated and labyrinthian task can be led by intellectuals who can respond to such extreme ideas by critically analysing the cultural and social values that give root to it. There is an urgent need to introduce stringent and pragmatic measures to address the prevailing unrest and violent tendencies of the masses.

Conclusively, exemplary punishment should be handed down to those involved in this gruesome act and that justice be dispensed to the aggrieved family. The government should ensure absolute safety to other foreign workers in Pakistan, otherwise, this will significantly harm Pakistan’s diplomatic ties.

Usama Mughal

Kandhkot

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7th, 2021.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.