Defence Minister Pervez Khattak said on Sunday that the lynching of the Sri Lankan man in Sialkot was a crime of passion. “Even murders take place” when young people get emotional, he said.

He was referring to the mob of hundreds of men who tortured Sri Lankan factory manager Priyantha Kumara and then and burnt his body over allegations of blasphemy on Friday.

Speaking at a media talk in Peshawar on Sunday, the minister said the Sialkot incident shouldn’t be linked with the lifting of the ban on Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan. “You know the reasons behind this incident. When children grow up, they become passionate and do things out of emotions. It doesn’t mean ‘this was a result of that action,” said Khattak.

Sialkot lynching happened because of heightened emotion, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Pakistan is headed on the path of destruction, he added.

The minister’s comments on Kumara's murder has caused a lot of anger on Pakistani Twitter. Users are calling him out on his “inhumane” and “reprehensible” statement.

Former editor Dawn shared a video of the media talk and tweeted, “PTI plumbs to new depths every day.”

“Foot in mouth disease along with pea-sized bigoted brains,” wrote Twitter user Maryam S. Khan.

One user can’t fathom the defence minister trying to justify the murder by “boy will be boys” narrative.

Some users demanded that Khattak be sacked from the cabinet immediately.

This user termed the statement “barbaric.”

“Pervez Khattak takes the crown from maulana fazal for the most stupid statement about the incident,” wrote user Saad Farrukh.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had condemned the Sialkot incident and said it was “reprehensible and shameful.” He called for a comprehensive investigation and said that “if the state doesn’t take action against those accused of blasphemy, then such incidents will continue to happen.”