'Cowardly at best, complicit at worst': Rights group slams Pak govt over killing of man on 'flimsy blasphemy allegations'

Highlighting the grim reality of "spiralling radicalisation" in the country, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Friday condemned the killing of the Sri Lankan man by a Sialkot mob on "flimsy allegations of blasphemy".

Highlighting the grim reality of "spiralling radicalisation" in the country, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Friday condemned the killing of the Sri Lankan man by a Sialkot mob on "flimsy allegations of blasphemy". Earlier today, the workers of private factories attacked the export manager of a factory and burnt his body after killing him, Dawn newspaper reported.

Several videos doing rounds on the Internet showed scores of men gathered at the site. People can be heard chanting slogans of "Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah" in some of the videos. "The unthinkable savagery with which a Sialkot mob has tortured a Sri Lankan man to death and burned his body on flimsy allegations of blasphemy should bring home once and for all the grim reality of spiralling radicalisation in Pakistan," HRCP said in a statement.

Slamming the Imran Khan government, the rights group said the state's response has been "cowardly at best and complicit at worst." "We demand an immediate, transparent inquiry into the incident. Not only must the perpetrators be brought to justice, but the state must also cease its collusion with far-right elements," the statement added. Amnesty International expressed concern over the "disturbing" lynching and killing of a Sri Lankan factory manager in Sialkot, allegedly due to a blasphemy accusation.

Pakistan authorities must immediately conduct an independent, impartial and prompt investigation and hold the perpetrators accountable, the group said. This comes as the increasing cases of blasphemy in Pakistan continue to be a cause of concern for rights activists.

Pakistan has registered thousands of blasphemy cases, which are mostly against religious minorities like Hindus, Christians, Shia and Ahmadiya Muslims from 1987 till today, according to several reports by rights groups. (ANI)

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