Massacre in Sialkot Leaves Pakistan Reeling
What Happens When Blasphemy Becomes a Crowd-Throwing Device?
Last Friday, a mob of factory workers in Punjab’s Sialkot pile‑up a Sri Lankan manager with a brutal hand‑painted “blasphemy” tag. They tortured, burned, and finally threw him into a blazing wall. The horror sparked a nationwide out‑cry once the body was flown back to Sri Lanka.
The After‑math Strikes Like a Clear‑Cut
- Prime Minister Imran Khan: “This is pure shame. The act is a slap to everyone’s conscience.”
- Actress Mahira Khan: “What a sick shame! I’m hungry to know where justice stops here. @ImranKhanPTI.”
- Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari: “Mob violence has no place if the law is here. Let the state handle it.”
Police Action Swift – Still Many Questions
Punjab police report arrests of seven new suspects in the past 12 hours, including a key plotter. Yet, critics argue this is a drop in a bucket. “Arrests are necessary, but why do mobs get a free pass?” asked Senator Sherry Rehman from the PPP.
Media Take a Hard Look
In the editorial “Horror in Sialkot” Dawn slammed Pakistan for “applauding religious extremists.” “Once again, we see ourselves drifting into an abyss,” the paper writes.
Why Does This Keep Happening?
In Pakistan, blasphemy is a death‑sentence headline. Conflated with a serious crime, it turns into a mob’s flash‑point. The incident is a stark reminder that saying “something’s wrong” in a power‑packed society can bite back with fire.
