Sialkot lynching: Cabinet committee asks police to submit challan in 14 days

LAHORE: Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat, on Thursday, told police to submit a challan of the Sialkot lynching incident in 14 days.

Read more: Govt decides to implement strategy to curb Sialkot-like incidents

Dozens of people were arrested in Sialkot after Sri Lankan factory manager Priyantha Kumara was beaten to death and set ablaze by a mob who accused him of blasphemy.

The vigilante attack has caused outrage, with Prime Minister Imran Khan calling it a “day of shame for Pakistan”.

Chairing a cabinet committee meeting on law and order today, Basharat ordered the prosecution department to set up a special cell to monitor the Sialkot incident daily amid hearings against the culprits in the court.

Provincial ministers, including Hashim Dogar, Timur Bhatti, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Rao Sardar, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Home Tahir Nasrullah, Additional Inspector General (IG) Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Waseem Sial and special branch officials, also attended the meeting.

The meeting also considered holding a daily jail trial of the Sialkot incident. The Regional Police Officer (RPO) Gujranwala briefed the participants on the progress of the investigation so far. Divisional RPOs and commissioners of the province also briefed the meeting via video link.

The participants also vowed to take strict action against the suspects involved in allegedly assaulting, stripping and filming four women in Faisalabad.

The committee also vowed to start a crackdown against fake number plates, police lights, tinted windows and bumper flashlights across Punjab. It also deliberated over setting up a new provincial control room 911 in Punjab Safe City.

Read more: Malik Adnan dedicates award to Priyantha Kumara, people of Sri Lanka

The cabinet committee meeting also directed the home department to submit legal proposals to make the kite flying law more effective.