ISLAMABAD: Malik Adnan, the underling at a production unit in Sialkot, who tried unsuccessfully to save the life of Priyantha Kumara, a Sri Lankan national and the business’ general manager, from a violent mob that killed the latter last Friday, dedicated the honour bestowed on him by Prime Minister Imran Khan to the deceased and the people of Sri Lanka.
Footage of the incident shared on social media showed Adnan attempting to calm down the charged mob, and later shielding Kumara when the matter escalated — but in vain.
Some among the crowd could be heard chanting slogans while Adnan tried to shield Kumara with his body who clung to the man’s legs.
But the mob, comprised of the unit’s employees, later overpowered Adnan and dragged the manager out on the road before torturing him to death.
“My passion that day was to somehow save the Sri Lankan citizen. I wanted no such incident to happen that would tarnish the name of the country,” Adnan wrote on Twitter.
اس دن میرا جذبہ یہی تھا کہ کسی طرح سری لنکن شہری کو بچا لوں،چاہتا تھا کہ کوئی ایسا واقعہ نہ پیش آ جائے کہ ملک کا نام خراب ہو.ہم سب عاشق رسول ہیں. pic.twitter.com/UauKL1Ta6e
— Malik Adnan (@MalikAdnann) December 7, 2021
Taking stock of his act of bravery, Prime Minister Khan announced his government will confer Tamgha-i-Shujaat on Adnan.
Talking to APP, Adnan said that in a situation like the one he found himself in, one should always stand with the oppressed.
“Today, I am very proud [of how the nation has responded to the incident] and my message to the nation is that whenever you encounter such a situation, always stand with the oppressed,” he said.
Adnan said he was thankful to everybody for the way the nation stood with him after the Sialkot incident.
He said his parents and teachers always advised him to stand with the oppressed “even at the cost of his own life”. “Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) said the one who saves [the life of] one human, saves all of humanity,” he observed.
He said Kumara was a good human being, friend, and the best manager and people trained by him were working at high posts in different companies of the country.
Media, teachers and conscious citizens should guide people so that such incidents were not repeated in future, he added.
