IN the long list of dark moments this country has seen, the lynching of Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara by a mob in Sialkot last December is among the worst. A mob of hundreds had surrounded the factory manager after spurious allegations of blasphemy had been raised, and in the gruesome spectacle that followed, he was tortured to death and his body set alight. The incident elicited revulsion at home and abroad as Pakistani society sought to question itself about how it had plunged to such depths. Monday’s sentencing in the case should bring some closure to the slain man’s family, as a number of culprits have been given the strongest penalty on the law books. An anti-terrorism court awarded capital punishment to six convicts while giving life terms to nine. Seventy-two others have been given jail terms of varying duration. While the culprits needed to pay heavily for their crime, it should be reiterated that this paper opposes the death penalty.

Though the justice system has wrapped up this key case within a reasonable period of time, the underlying factors that fuel mob mentality and extremism need to be addressed by society so that such an outrage is not repeated. Of course, one of the key matters that needs to be addressed is a review of the blasphemy laws, as too often flimsy charges are used to settle personal scores, with deadly consequences. Moreover, perhaps due to the constant political upheavals in the country, the deradicalisation agenda set forth in the 20-point National Action Plan has been lost sight of. State and society need to revitalise the plan to wean the country away from extremism and barbarism of the sort witnessed in Sialkot. Also, as the ATC noted in the Priyantha Kumara case, had the local police moved in quickly, the tragedy could perhaps have been avoided. Therefore, in cases where blasphemy allegations are made, timely action by law enforcement can help defuse an explosive situation and save lives.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2022