Sri Lanka increases the security of Pakistanis in LPL after the Sialkot incident

Sri Lanka will strengthen security for international cricketers after a national, factory manager Priyantha Kumara, was lynched and set on fire by a mob in Sialkot on charges of blasphemy, an official said Monday.

A dozen players from Pakistan take part in the T20 competition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), including veterans Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez.

A Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) official told AFP that additional precautions will be taken amid Friday vigilante lynching, which caused outrage across Sri Lanka.

The second edition of the LPL kicked off on December 5th with the opening game between last year's finalists, Galle Gladiators, and Jaffna Kings. The final is scheduled for December 23rd.

The first edition of the tournament was won by Jaffna Stallions (now known as Kings) when they defeated Galle Gladiators in the 53-run final of the tournament. Shoaib Malik and Usman Shinwari were both on the squad of title winners.

"We have improved security across the board, not just for the Pakistani players," said the official on condition of anonymity.

A mob of hundreds of demonstrators, including workers at the factory headed by Kumara, tortured him to death and later burned his body on charges of blasphemy.

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An initial informational report was filed against 900 Rajco Industries workers at the request of Uggoki Station House Officer (SHO) Armaghan Maqt under Sections 302, 297, 201, 427, 431, 157, 149 of the Pakistani Criminal Code and 7 and 11WW of. registered the anti-terror law.

More than 131 suspects have so far been arrested, including 26 who played a "central role" in the brutal killing.

The remains of the expat factory manager were returned to Colombo on Monday, and Sri Lankan authorities called for the perpetrators to be punished for the "brutal and fatal attack". The five-person LPL started on Sunday and ends with a finale on December 23rd.