Man places photo of Priyantha Diyawadana in tribute after he was killed by a mob in Pakistan for taking down a poster
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)More than 100 people have been arrested in Pakistan after a man was murdered for taking down posters bearing the name of the Prophet Muhammad.
A mob beat 48-year-old Sri Lankan factory worker Priyantha Diyawadana to death before setting his body alight in the Sialkot District in Punjab on Friday.
Shocking footage shared on social media shows dozens of people taking selfies next to his burning corpse in the aftermath of the brutal incident.
Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack as a “day of shame” for Pakistan and vowed to punish those responsible with the “full severity of the law”.
He confirmed that he had spoken to Sri Lankan president Gotabe Rajapaksa to express his condolences and assure him that justice will be served.
The horrific vigilante attack on factory in Sialkot & the burning alive of Sri Lankan manager is a day of shame for Pakistan. I am overseeing the investigations & let there be no mistake all those responsible will be punished with full severity of the law. Arrests are in progress
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 3, 2021
A man who worked with Priyantha told the Associated Press that his colleague had only removed the poster because the building was about to be cleaned.
Nilushi Dissanayaka, the victim’s wife, has rejected claims that her husband committed blasphemy.
She told the BBC: “I totally reject reports that my husband tore down posters in the factory. He was an innocent man.
“He was very much aware of the living conditions in Pakistan. It is a Muslim country. He knew what he should do there and that’s how he managed to work there for 11 years.”
Pakistan is an Islamic country with strict laws prohibiting people from insulting Islam. In the country, blasphemy is punishable by death.
Critics say the laws pose a serious threat to human rights and are often used to persecute religious minorities.
Ms Bibi was arrested in 2009 on charges of insulting Islam’s prophet and she was sentenced to death in 2010.
She spent eight years on death row until the Pakistani Supreme Court acquitted her of the blasphemy charges.
