LAHORE: Authorities have conducted forensic tests of over 50 main suspects allegedly involved in the lynching of a Sri Lankan national over allegations of blasphemy in Pakistan's Punjab province.
In a shocking incident earlier this month, supporters of the radical Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) attacked a garment factory in Sialkot and lynched its 49-year-old general manager - Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana- before setting his body on fire over allegations of blasphemy.
A first information report was registered against 900 people in the case.
"Of the total over 160 suspects detained in this case, Punjab police have conducted the forensic tests of 54 main suspects so far," a police official told Dawn on Wednesday. He said the main suspects were brought to the Forensic Laboratory in Lahore amid high security for their forensic tests. "After the tests, they were taken back to the Sialkot prison," he added.
The official further said that the police are likely to submit a challan (investigative report) in this case to the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) next month. He said it is also likely that the trial of the accused will be held within prison premises.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has directed the provincial chief of police to complete the necessary legal procedures and submit the case challan to the court as soon as possible.
The Sialkot District Bar Association has already announced not to represent the suspects.
"No lawyer will pursue the case on behalf of the suspects," the bar said in a statement.
The Sialkot business community has collected USD 100,000 for the family of Kumara. The factory management has also decided to send the monthly salary of the deceased to his family. Surprisingly neither the federal nor Punjab government has announced any compensation package for the victim's family so far.
Kumara, who was in his late 40s, was working as general manager in the Rajko industries (dealing in garments sportswear) in the Sialkot district for the last seven years or so.
The incident sparked outrage across Pakistan with all sections of society condemning it and calling for the culprits to be punished.
Kumara had gone to Pakistan in 2011 after he got a job as a mechanical engineer at an apparel factory in Faisalabad. After a year, he joined Sialkot's Rajco Industries as its general manager and was the only Sri Lankan national working in the factory.
The Sri Lankan Parliament, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa have condemned the brutal killing and have expressed hope that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's government would bring the guilty to justice.