Pakistani Defence Minister calls murderers ‘boys’

The lynching of Sri Lankan factory manager (General Manger), Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana, in brought daylight, last Friday, in Pakistan sparked global outrage; yet the Pakistani Defence Minister Pervez Khattak was trying to justify the gruesome act saying that ‘the youth, the kids acted in passion’. According to the reports, Priyantha was burnt alive. But the minister was trying to belittle the horrific crime using the words ‘youth’, ‘kids’ – which means they are too young to understand the consequences. But, in fact, the perpetrators were grown up men, who were supporters of hard-line Islamic party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP)

Pervez Khattak went on to say, “Even I can get excited and do wrong when it comes to religion,” but our Minister of Public Security, Sarath Weerasekara, was unsure about what the defense minister said.

Here is what Pervez told about the violent mob attack in Sialkot, last Friday, to the media in a news conference, in Pakistan, and it was telecast live on some mainstream TV channels, including Indian media.

‘It was the work of angry, charged youngsters who were swept away by religious emotions”.

“Even I can get excited and do wrong when it comes to religion,” Khattak told media persons, claiming that it was wrong to blame the government. “Instead of blaming the government, it is the responsibility of the media to explain these to the people….

However, the comments came in the backdrop of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan assuring the world that perpetrators will be punished. Prime Minister Imran Khan had conveyed to the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Sunday that the brutal act was “our nation’s anger and shame”. He had assured President Rajapaksa “that justice will be metedout”. He also said “I Spoke to Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today in the UAE to convey our nation’s anger and shame to people of Sri Lanka at the vigilante killing of Priyantha Diyawadana in Sialkot.

In the aftermath of the killing, the actions taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan, to bring perpetrators to justice, is a relief to the grieving nation and commmendable.

As an IT lecturer, last Thursday, I was teaching my students about the UK government’s programme “Prevent’, which is designed to prevent people becoming radicalised, and at risk of involvement in violent extremism supporting terrorism in all its forms. I was deeply shocked when I watched the brutal killing (lynching) of Priyantha Kumara, so I played the following video on a projector, yesterday (06 December), for my students to convey the message strongly about the danger of radicalisation and extremism. ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0Jg3dCkPu0

RAJASINGHE BANDARA