“I demand justice not revenge, but I believe what happened to my husband should never happen to any human being in the future. No one should endure the pain and suffering I and my children had to undergo,” Priyantha Kumara’s widow Nilushi Dissanayaka said.
Attending a Condolence Reference at the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo on Thursday, she said all the brutal killers of her innocent husband should be punished as an example to others.
Expressing gratitude to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan for personally overseeing the case and the Sri Lankan government for its intervention, she added ‘I thank all the Pakistanis across the world who grieved with us,’ after the shocking and cold-blooded murder.
“As a Buddhist I practise and live according to the teachings of the Lord Buddha, Nahi Verena Verani, hatred will not cease by hatred. I teach and guide my two sons not to hate the murderers who killed their father but to follow the Buddhist teachings of Metta, Muditha, Karuna and Upekkha and to become good citizens when they grow up.”
She also thanked the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Owner of Rajco Industries, Ijaz Ahmed for their concern and continuous support to the family.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner designate retired Major General Umar Farooq Burki said that each and every person in Pakistan from the Prime Minister to the common man on the street was aggrieved and strongly condemned the brutal act.
He said, “Pakistanis have always condemned such acts anywhere in the world.”
The Priyantha Kumara murder trial is being held daily on strict directive of Pakistani Prime Minister and the Premier is directly supervising the trial, it was told.
Speaking to the Sunday Observer on the sidelines of the event, the High Commissioner designate said, ‘It’s a good sign that the case is being monitored daily and added that although he was not sure as to how long the trial would last Premier Khan is keen that the culprits would be brought to justice as soon as possible.
He added, “The determination of our Government to strictly deal with anyone found involved in cruelty by using religion, especially in the name of the Prophet of Islam stands firm from day one.”
The Sialkot business and trade community has raised US$ 100,000 for their former colleague’s family and the funds had been delivered to the wife. It was also mentioned that expatriate Pakistanis in Canada have also contributed Rs.2.8 million.
Pakistanis in the USA have collected nearly US$ 40,000 which will also be transferred to Priyantha’s family shortly, it was revealed at the event. The family will also receive the monthly salary of Priyantha Kumara for ten years.
The Condolence Reference in memory of the late Diyawadanage Don Nandasiri Priyantha Kumara by Pakistan High Commission was held on Thursday (Jan 20). His wife and two sons including the father and a brother of the widow attended the event.
Priyantha who was a Manager attached to Rajco industries, a leading sportswear manufacturing factory in Pakistan, for ten years, was lynched by a mob of religious fanatics on blasphemy claims last month.
His colleague Malik Adnan tried to shield him from the brutal murderers at great risk to his own life but was overpowered by the senseless mob. Malik Adnan received a top bravery award from Pakistani PM for his heroic act.
Chancellor Colombo University, Most Ven. Muruttetuwe Ananda Thera, Most Ven. Aggrahera Kasappa Thera, Rev. Fr. Sixtus Kurukulasuriya, Swami Kurkul Babu Sharma and Molana Hassan Syed led the religious observances on the late Priyantha Kumara. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Minister of Youth and Sports Namal Rajapaksa, State Minister of Regional Co-operation Tharaka Balasuriya, State Minister of Gem and Jewelry related Industries Lohan Ratwatte and Representatives from the Foreign Ministry were present.
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Fact Box
The first conviction - An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Friday convicted a Sialkot citizen, identified as Muhammad Adnan, for supporting and justifying the brutal murder of Sri Lankan citizen Diyawadanage Don Nandasri Priyantha in a YouTube video soon after the incident.
During the hearing of the case, the accused admitted to the charges framed against him. The court sentenced him to one-year imprisonment and imposed a penalty of Pakistan Rs10,000.
Arrests - By January 21, 2022
Seventy nine suspects were in remand while 165 were arrested in connection with the savage lynching.