Sialkot lynching: Killing over 'unsubstantiated blasphemy claims' not permissible, say Pak religious scholars

Islamabad [Pakistan], December 11 : Muslim scholars in Pakistan speaking about the Sialkot lynching said the killing of any person over "unsubstantiated blasphemy accusations" is not permissible.
Last week, a mob in the Wazirabad Road area in Sialkot had tortured a Sri Lankan national named Priyantha Kumara to death, before burning his body over alleged blasphemy.
The "day of condemnation" was observed in mosques across Pakistan on Friday, Dawn newspaper reported. The religious leaders in the country emphasized that all sections of society had to come out against the extremist mindset and extremist thinking.
In their Friday sermons, religious leaders said that the whole country agreed on punishment to the perpetrators of the "Sialkot tragedy."
They said that Pakistan courts have the authority to punish the perpetrator of blasphemy and taking the law into one's hands is not permissible according to Sharia and law of the land, according to Dawn.
Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi, Special Representative of the Pakistan Prime Minister on Religious Harmony said the lynching of the Sri Lankan national had embarrassed the entire nation. Elements involved in making blasphemy allegations for their vested objectives would also be punished under the blasphemy law, he added.
On Thursday, Sri Lanka Foreign Minister G L Peiris had a meeting with the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in Colombo Tanvir Ahmad to discuss the matters relating to financial security and compensation of the family of late Priyantha Kumara who was killed by a mob in the Sialkot area.
Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry said in a press note that Peiris expressed confidence that the Pakistan Government would take the required steps that the family of late Priyantha Kumara gets justice.