Sialkot incident a wake-up call for the government and people of Pakistan: PAT

Lahore (4 Dec 2021) Secretary General Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Khurram Nawaz Gandapur has termed Sialkot incident an extremely heinous, condemnable act that badly damaged peaceful teachings of Islam and Pakistan's democratic image among the comity of nations.

This inhuman incident is the result of the prevailing extremism in the society, he said. He regretted that no serious attempt has been made to curb the menace.

PAT Secretary General recalled that in an earlier incident around a couple was burnt alive in Sambrial area of Sialkot, while in Lahore's Joseph Colony, the houses of a community were set ablaze. He said that it turned out after the investigations that the perpetrators had their vested interest.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur lamented that it is the second incident of immolation that has sent waves of deep anxiety and concern across the country. He pointed out that in each incident police failed to act in time and the perpetrators managed to escape punitive action under the law, adding that an international campaign was then launched to label Pakistan as an extremist country.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said that penalizing an accused after due legal process is the sole prerogative of a court of law and none has the authority to take the law in their hands and indulge in extrajudicial act of penalizing others.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said the state will have to play its decisive role in the Sialkot incident by giving an exemplary punishment to the perpetrators so that no one else may dare challenge the writ of the state.

PAT Secretary General urged the educated class in the country that in view of the sensitivity of the issue they should come forward and play their role in curbing the fanaticism, which has no room in Islam as well as Constitution of Pakistan.

He stressed that no leniency should be shown to fanatic behaviours. Lauding the Sri Lankan government and people for standing with Pakistan during all testing times, he recalled that Sri Lanka defeated the nefarious designs of terrorists when it extended its unwavering support to Pakistan when terrorists targeted its cricket team in Lahore more than a decade ago.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said the heinous Sialkot incident must have agonized Sri Lankan people and Islamabad should feel their pain and do whatever it can to relieve them of the stress and agony by taking the perpetrators to account.

He suggested that the government should act like that of New Zealand when the NZ people and prime minister came forward to comfort the Muslims in the wake of Christchurch incident.

PAT Secretary General said Prime Minister Imran Khan should immediately convene a meeting of the cabinet and tender an apology to the government and people of Sri Lanka, assuring them of certainty of punishment to the perpetrators of the Sialkot tragedy.

He said that all saner souls in the country are sad at the Sialkot incident and are waiting for a stern action against the accused as well as making public the facts behind the heinous act.