Sri Lanka's President, Prime Minister, Parliament, including the opposition parties, have severely condemned the murder of a Sri Lankan man in Pakistan's Sialkot on Friday, pointing that the incident, which threatens diplomatic relations between the two countries, signals the growth of extremist forces in the country.

"Shocking to see the brutal and fatal attack on Priyantha Diyawadana by extremist mobs in Pakistan. My heart goes out to his wife and family. Sri Lanka and her people are confident that PM Imran Khan will keep to his commitment to bring all those involved to justice," tweeted Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa today.

Priyantha Diyawadana, said to be in his 40s, worked as the General Manager Operation at Rajco Industries in Sialkot. He was tortured to death by a frenzied mob and then his body set to fire allegedly over blasphemy accusations.

Several videos of the public lynching have gone viral on social media, showing men chanting slogans in favour of hardline Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) torturing Diyawadana to death.

Shocking to see the brutal and fatal attack on Priyantha Diyawadana by extremist mobs in #Pakistan. My heart goes out to his wife and family. #SriLanka and her people are confident that PM @ImranKhanPTI will keep to his commitment to bring all those involved to justice.

— Mahinda Rajapaksa (@PresRajapaksa) December 4, 2021

"Deeply concerned by the incident in Sialkot Pakistan. Sri Lanka trusts that PM Imran Khan and the Gvt. of Pakistan will ensure justice is served and ensure the safety of the remaining Sri Lankan workers in Pakistan," tweeted Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka.

Cabinet Minister Namal Rajapaksa termed the brutal murder by extremist mobs in Pakistan "incomprehensible".

"We should be mindful that this could happen to anyone if extremist forces are allowed to act freely," he tweeted.

The murder of the Sri Lankan man in Pakistan was also condemned in Sri Lanka’s Parliament today, including by the Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena.

Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena said the incident threatens the diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Pakistan while MP Shantha Bandara stated that there is a growing concern over the safety of Sri Lankans in Pakistan.

Also Read: Lynching of Sri Lankan man showcases Pakistan’s chronic bigotry