Priyantha Diyawadana, a Sri Lankan national who worked as general manager at Rajco Industries in Sialkot, Punjab, was set upon by violent supporters of the militant outfit TLP  on Friday.

The Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called the incident a “day of shame” for the country. He wrote in his post on Twitter, “The horrific vigilante attack on a factory in Sialkot & the burning alive of a 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.”

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 Pakistani journalist Abbas Nasir replied on his tweet said that, “Use of 'vigilante' here means the PM's already adjudged the murdered man 'guilty' of a crime. Provision of Insaf begins”.

Use of 'vigilante' here means the PM's already adjudged the murdered man 'guilty' of a crime. Provision of Insaf begins. https://t.co/npXFVaa4XE

— Abbas Nasir (@abbasnasir59) December 3, 2021

Most of the Pakistanis linked the incident and a recent U-turn by the Imran Khan government in its policy towards Pakistan’s hardline Islamic group, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

“Ashamed!! Sick to my stomach!! Looking at you Imran Khan for answers, for justice and to take away this menace from our country,” tweeted Pakistani actress Mahira Khan.

Ashamed!! Sick to my stomach!! Looking at you @ImranKhanPTI for answers, for justice and to take away this menace from our country. #Sialkot

— Mahira Khan (@TheMahiraKhan) December 3, 2021

Pakistan has notorious draconian laws against blasphemy, which carry the death sentence. The laws are often used against religious minorities and those accused are sometimes lynched before they are proven guilty in a court of ;aw. Pakistanis have been reacting  strongly to the brutality and condemned the perpetrators.

"The amount of radicalisation and intolerance that has transgressed into the society can be very well measured by what happened in Sialkot – Absolutely horrific – Our heads should hang in shame,” says another journalist Anas Mallik sharing the picture of one culprit  taking selfie. He wrote: “This picture speaks volumes – Guy filming has a message, ‘Apna Time Aayega’ – You never know when this fire reaches your own house – This is purely an act of terrorism, not extra judicial vigilantism  – This is what happens when you let go off extremists and negotiate with them.”

This picture speaks volumes – Guy filming has a message, ‘Apna Time Aayega’ – You never know when this fire reaches your own house – This is purely an act of terrorism, not extra judicial vigilantism – This is what happens when you let go off extremists and negotiate with them! pic.twitter.com/k5rk8QIks8

— Anas Mallick (@AnasMallick) December 3, 2021

TLP was banned by the Imran Khan government and declared a militant organisation. However, after TLP followers started a wave of deadly protests in Lahore in October, killing at least six police officers, Khan surrendered to the militants and lifted the ban.

There is a fear among Pakistanis that incidents of violence over alleged blasphemy cases and mob lynching are escalating as a result.

Hussain Haqqani, a scholar at Hudson Institute and former ambassador to the US, said Pakistan had indulged and empowered extremist Islamists for years. “The state machinery supports those who are perpetrating violence in the name of religion instead of protecting the victims. Only recently, the government cut a deal with TLP, which was responsible for killing policemen during violent protests. The rise of the TLP has normalised murder over blasphemy allegations. What were once random incidents are now becoming an epidemic,” he told The Guardian.

Many Pakistanis reminded their PM Khan that it was Sri Lanka which sent its cricket team when other countries had refused to play in Pakistan.

“You come to play cricket, we become death, you come to run our industry, we do not even return the corpse, I failed to explain to my compatriots. I am your culprit,  Sri Lanka,” said another user on Twitter.

This is a man who made the grave mistake of living amongst the peaceful Muslims of Pakistan#Sialkot pic.twitter.com/Mw8aTWp2C2

— ms_geen (Taylor's Version) (@ThisIsMeTryn) December 3, 2021

Despite the promises made by imran Khan and Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa that perpetrators will not be spared, many doubt that anything will happen to them. According to Pakistan’s own records, so far no one has been punished in the last few years. This year 113 cases have been reviewed by the Muttahida Ulema Board and all accused were acquitted of the charges including killings.

Also Read : Imran Khan bows to hardline Islamist party TLP yet again