Maulana Tariq Jamil, a renowned religious scholar, strongly condemned the lynching of Sri Lankan factory manager Priyantha Kumar by a charged mob in Sialkot.

Speaking during a meeting with Sri Lanka's High Commissioner Mohan Wijewickrama, he termed the lynching an act of 'cruelty' and said that Pakistani nation is ashamed.

The cleric expressed his grief and said that killing of an innocent is tantamount to killing of the whole humanity.

"I beg people to read Holy Quran," he said.

He also tweeted images from his meeting. He was accompanied by special assistant to prime minister on religious affairs Tahir Ashrafi.

Kumara, a senior manager at a factory in Sialkot, was tortured to death on Dec 3 by hundreds of protesters, including the factory employees, and his body was later burnt over allegations of blasphemy.

His barbaric murder drew condemnations and criticism from civil human rights bodies and politicians including Prime Minister Imran Khan and members of ulema council.

Jameel tweeted a condemnation following the lynching saying it was against Islamic teachings to take the law into one's hands.