Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced that the Tamgha-i-Shujaat (Medal of Bravery) will be conferred on Malik Adnan — a colleague of the Sri Lankan man lynched by a mob in Sialkot on Friday who had tried to save the 49-year-old factory manager.

In videos of the incident shared on social media, Adnan was seen trying to calm the mob down and later shielded Kumara when the matter escalated, but in vain.

Some among the mob could be heard chanting slogans and saying "he (Kumara) will not escape today," while Adnan tried to shield the manager with his body who clung to the man's legs.

The workers later overpowered Adnan and dragged the Sri Lankan out on the road and tortured him with kicks, stones and iron rods, killing him on the spot. The mob had then set the body on fire.

In a tweet on Sunday, Prime Minister Imran said: “On behalf of the nation I want to salute [the] moral courage and bravery of Malik Adnan who tried his utmost to shelter and save Priyantha Diyawadana from the vigilante mob in Sialkot.”

The premier noted that Adnan had endangered his own life "by physically trying to shield the victim", saying he would be honoured with the Tamgha-i-Shujaat.

The First Information Report of the incident was registered against 900 workers of Rajco Industries on the application of Uggoki Station House Officer (SHO) Armaghan Maqt under Sections 302, 297, 201, 427, 431, 157, 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code and 7 and 11WW of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

In the latest development, the Punjab police identified and arrested six more of the main alleged culprits involved in Kumara's lynching.

Over the past two days, police have arrested scores of suspects, including six more primary suspects who were traced using CCTV footage and mobile phone data. "The suspects were hiding at the homes of their friends and relatives," a police statement said.