PM Imran Khan saluted Malik Adnan for his bravery while he tried to save Priyantha Diyawadana in the Sialkot incident. In honor of his moral courage, PM Khan announced Tamgha e Shujaat for Malik Adnan.
In a tweet, PM Khan announced the decision. He also praised Malik Adnan who endangered his own life while trying to save Priyantha Diyawadana.
“On behalf of the nation, I want to salute moral courage & bravery of Malik Adnan who tried his utmost to shelter & save Priyantha Diyawadana from the vigilante mob in Sialkot, endangering his own life by physically trying to shield victim. We will award him Tamgha i Shujaat,” PM Khan wrote.
On behalf of the nation I want to salute moral courage & bravery of Malik Adnan who tried his utmost to shelter & save Priyantha Diyawadana from the vigilante mob in Sialkot incl endangering his own life by physically trying to shield victim. We will award him Tamgha i Shujaat
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 5, 2021
Friday, an angry mob in Sialkot accused a Sri Lankan factory manager, Priyantha Diyawadana, of blasphemy by allegedly tearing up posters containing holy verses. As a result, they beat him to death. Later they burned his body.
The incident left the entire nation horrified and shocked. Authorities immediately came into action to arrest those responsible for the horrible incident in Sialkot.
Read more: PM Khan to spare no one in Sialkot disaster
How Malik Adnan became a hero
Important to note, while Priyantha Diyawadana was being beaten up, Malik Adnan, who according to reports, was a colleague, tried his best to rescue Priyantha from the mob.
He immediately rushed to Priyantha when he received the news. Priyantha had already suffered serious head injuries by the time Malik Adnan arrived. However, Malik Adnan stepped into the scene and physically shielded Priyantha at the risk of his own life. The mob also beat Malik Adnan as he tried to save Priyantha from the rabid mob.
Read more: Religious extremism : Pakistan’s deadly disease?
Malik Adnan tried to reason with the mob and begged them to spare Priyantha’s life. To appease the mob, Malik Adnan even suggested removing Priyantha from his job and sending him out of the country. However, the mob was set on ending Priyantha’s life.
Malik Adnan is an unsung hero. It is very difficult to even contradict with mob but he tried his best to save Priyantha Diyawadana pic.twitter.com/RTB1wfYkEu
— Ali Raza (@AliRazaTweets) December 5, 2021
Graphic Content ❗️⚠️
His name is Malik Adnan. He tried to reason with the crazy mob and tried to protect #PriyanthaDiyawadana•He tried. It wasn't enough.
But he tried.
•Each of us has a role to play.
We must never under-estimate that
role.
#MalikAdnan #Sialkot pic.twitter.com/gXYalTGJx9— Faeza Dawood (@FaezaDawood) December 4, 2021
Needless to say, Malik Adnan became a hero for Pakistan for his exemplary bravery and moral courage as he tried to protect Priyantha from a mob comprising of over 800 angry men.
Read more: Foreign national lynched over alleged blasphemy in Sialkot
Malik Adnan thanks media
While talking to the media, Malik Adnan said he was sorry that he could not save Priyantha. He also recalled how Priyantha was very dutiful and honest. Malik Adnan said posters are often put up at the factory but are removed during cleaning.
The Sri Lankan manager could not read or write Urdu, due to which he demanded immediate removal of the posters that reportedly carried religious inscriptions, Malik Adnan added.
Initially, Malik Adnan was also booked as part of the mob. However, videos of him trying to save Priyantha emerged on social media. As a result, Malik Adnan thanked the media for showing the reality.
Read more: Media must play a powerful role in presenting a positive image of Pakistan: Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan