ISLAMABAD:Sri Lankan High Commissioner Mohan Wijewickrama has said the unfortunate incident in Sialkot will not hamper Pakistan-Sri Lanka relations.
He was talking to media along with eminent religious scholars, who visited the Sri Lankan High Commission to express condolence over the incident, here on Tuesday. The High Commissioner said this incident was horrific but swift action by the government and response from the religious scholars is satisfying. He said Pakistan and Sri Lanka have been friends since 1948 and Pakistan has always assisted Sri Lanka to resolve different issues.
He asked the government to provide an adequate compensation to the family of Priyantha Kumara. Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Interfaith Harmony Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi assured that Pakistan will take all possible steps to hold the culprits accountable. Leading religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani apologized from people of Sri Lanka on behalf the Pakistani nation. He said the case against the culprits will be brought to logical end.
Renowned Islamic scholars Sajid Mir, Hamid Saeed Kazmi, Abul Khair Zubair, Qari Hanif Jalandhari and Allama Arif Wahidi also spoke on the occasion and condemned the incident. On the occasion, Ulema announced to observe next Friday as Condemnation Day. Later in joint declaration, the Ulema condemned the Sialkot incident. They termed the incident against the teachings of Islam.