SYDNEY: Accused <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bondi-beach-shooters-arrived-as-indian-nationals-philippine-immigration" style="color:#0073e6;">Bondi Beach</a> killer Naveed Akram appeared in a Sydney court via video link on Monday, in his first public hearing. Akram and his father, Sajid, allegedly attacked a Jewish <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/police-say-bondi-beach-mass-shooting-suspects-acted-alone" style="color:#0073e6;">Hanukkah</a> celebration in December in the nation&#39;s worst mass shooting in nearly three decades. Akram has been charged with terrorism and 15 counts of murder. Sajid was shot and killed by police during the attack. He appeared for about five minutes via video link from prison, according to a statement from the court and local media. Akram wore a green jumper during the hearing, which dealt mostly with technical matters such as suppressing the identification of some victims, local media said. He reportedly spoke only one word &mdash; &quot;yeah&quot; &mdash; when asked by the judge whether he had heard a discussion about the extension of suppression orders. Speaking outside the court, Akram&#39;s lawyer Ben Archbold said his client was being held in &quot;very onerous conditions,&quot; ABC said. He also said it was too early to say whether Akram would plead guilty. Among the victims of December&#39;s attack were an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, a couple who confronted one of the gunmen, and a 10-year-old girl, Matilda, who was described at her funeral as a &quot;ray of sunshine.&quot; According to the <a href="http://Akram%20travelled%20to%20the%20Philippines%20using%20an%20Australian%20passport,%20while%20his%20father%20Sajid%20used%20an%20Indian%20passport" style="color:#0073e6;">BBC</a>, border authorities in Manila said that Akram travelled to the Philippines using an Australian passport, while his father, Sajid, used an Indian passport

Australasia

Akram has been charged with terrorism and 15 counts of murder. Sajid was shot and killed by police during the attack; Akram's lawyer Ben Archbold says his client being held in "very onerous conditions."


Accused Bondi killer Naveed Akram appears in court by video link

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has not decided on participating in the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in relation to the Gaza peace plan, according to the Foreign Office spokesperson.&nbsp; During a press briefing on Thursday, Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, addressed ongoing discussions about the country&#39;s potential involvement in the ISF and recent diplomatic developments.&nbsp;On the question about the status of Pakistan&#39;s participation in the ISF vis-&agrave;-vis the Gaza peace plan, the FO spokesperson responded: &ldquo;I mentioned previously as well. We have not yet decided to participate in ISF. We will inform you about any development that takes place in this regard.&rdquo;&nbsp;&lsquo;Not to my knowledge&rsquo;&nbsp;In response to another question, the spokesperson said: &ldquo;The discussion on International Security Force is ongoing in certain capitals. I am not aware of any specific requests made to Pakistan on sending troops. As stated, we have not taken any decision on this subject, as yet.&rdquo; To another query regarding whether Pakistan has consulted any regional countries on ISF, like Iran and Saudi Arabia, the spokesperson said: &ldquo;Not to my knowledge.&rdquo; Andrabi further said: &ldquo;Broadly under the subject of Gaza and Palestine, ISF may have come under discussion during our various interactions. But if you ask whether this was a specific agenda item for a meeting or a telephone call, I do not think so.&rdquo;&nbsp; On Bondi Beach attackOn the Bondi Beach attack, Andrabi said that the vilification of Pakistan was extremely regrettable.&nbsp; He said Pakistan strongly condemns this attack. &ldquo;Pakistan stands in solidarity with the people and government of Australia,&rdquo; Andrabi said.&nbsp; &ldquo;Pakistan unequivocally condemns terrorism in all forms and manifestations.&rdquo; About disinformation on the Bondi Beach attack, Andrabi said, &ldquo;Yes, the initial reports on the perpetrator&rsquo;s false identity were published by an Israeli newspaper.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;There were certain handlers on X and other social media from Afghanistan that were, indeed, involved.&rdquo; He added, &ldquo;They do not have any credibility. It depicts that they want to stereotype Pakistan into a certain bracket through such false news.&rdquo;&nbsp; Indian media &lsquo;egg-faced&rsquo;&nbsp;About the blame game on Pakistan vis-&agrave;-vis the attack by the Indian media, he said this is not the first time that the Indian media has been egg-faced on being proved wrong.&nbsp; When asked about taking this matter to an international forum, he said that there are specific fora for reporting such developments.&nbsp; The ultimate price that the Indian media pays for such disinformation is the loss of its own credibility, which has been considerable in the past six months, particularly during Operation Bunyanul Marsoos, and now after this Bondi Beach terrorist incident.&nbsp; On Indus Waters TreatyThe Foreign Office spokesperson, on the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), said: &ldquo;We have all options. Pakistan is fully committed to the various processes of dispute resolution under the IWT.&rdquo; &ldquo;On the interpretation and downstream working of the treaty, including Article 9, we have all options available that can be exercised,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp; Field marshal&rsquo;s &#39;visit&#39; contradicted&nbsp;On the reported visit of the Chief of Army Staff/Chief of Defense Forces to the US, as reported by Reuters, Andrabi said: &ldquo;I can contradict the Reuters story in its essence that it seemed to suggest that the visit has been planned and there is a finality about it. So, I am contradicting that.&rdquo;&nbsp; UN report on Afghanistan&nbsp;Regarding the UN report on Afghanistan, Andrabi said, &ldquo;The Security Council report also elaborates on the configuration of various terrorist elements inside Afghanistan, particularly with reference to the TTP/Fitnah Al Khawarij.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;This reaffirms Pakistan&#39;s assertion on major impediments to developing bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan with respect to the lasting ceasefire, the closure of border gates, and the closure of trade.&rdquo;&nbsp; &quot;The findings of the report are in sync with Pakistan&#39;s official position, and this is heard loud and clear across international capitals,&quot; he said. Ceasefire with Afghanistan&nbsp;Regarding the ceasefire with Afghanistan, Andrabi said: &ldquo;Pakistan, in good faith, had agreed to the ceasefire. This move by Pakistan has not been reciprocated with the same positivity from the Afghan Taliban regime.&rdquo;&nbsp; Aid to Afghanistan&nbsp;On the issue of aid to Afghanistan, Andrabi said: &ldquo;From our side, there is no hindrance in the dispatch of humanitarian aid. I recall that medicines were included in the first and second batches of the aid convoy that was allowed to pass. Various UN agencies were also involved in the dispatch of that aid.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;If there are any impediments to the flow of humanitarian assistance from the Afghan side, I am not aware of them. There was a statement from the Afghan Taliban regime that they are not willing to receive anything,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp; &#39;Good neighborly relations&#39;On official contact with Afghanistan, Andrabi said: &ldquo;The diplomatic channels exist. I am not aware of any backchannel diplomacy. During the regional talks on Afghanistan hosted by Iran last week, the Afghan Taliban regime did not send a representative. Had they sent a representative to the meeting, some exchange might have taken place.&rdquo;&nbsp; He said: &ldquo;We stand by our foreign policy of good neighborly relations. Pakistan has not given up this objective.&rdquo;&nbsp; On Indian cabinet&rsquo;s decisionOn a question about the Indian Cabinet approving the opening up of nuclear insurance sectors for private investment, the spokesperson said: &ldquo;We monitor these developments very carefully, given India&#39;s troubling history of nuclear security lapses, including multiple incidents of radioactive material theft and unlawful sale of radioactive material reported since the 1990s.&rdquo;&nbsp; Andrabi added: &ldquo;The involvement of the private sector in handling sensitive nuclear material and knowledge could be a matter of concern; this may pose a challenge to the global efforts for countering access of private individuals to sensitive nuclear materials.&rdquo;&nbsp; Ban on airspace&nbsp;On a question about Pakistan extending its ban on the use of airspace by India till January 23, 2026, the spokesperson said: &ldquo;The status of Pakistan&rsquo;s airspace for India stays the same. It is reflective of the relations between the two countries, the threats that are brandished against Pakistan, including the statements being made by the senior Indian leadership about another wave of aggression against Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp; On SAARC&nbsp;On a question concerning the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the spokesperson said: &ldquo;I would reiterate the response I gave to a similar query on SAARC last week, i.e., the blockade of SAARC is regrettable, and we would want it to be revived.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;We welcome the statement from Dhaka on ways of alternate regional cooperation mechanisms.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Pakistan remains committed to multilateralism,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;

Foreign Affairs

Foreign Office spokesperson says, ‘We have not taken a decision to participate in ISF as yet. We will inform you about any development that takes place in this regard.’

Pakistan yet to decide on joining international Gaza force: Foreign Office

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday demanded public apologies and corrections from international media outlets that published unverified claims linking Pakistan to the Bondi Beach shooting incident in Australia, calling the reporting a &#39;vicious disinformation campaign.&#39; Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Tarar presented video clips and timelines to show how several outlets circulated claims that one of the attackers was Pakistani without verification. &nbsp;&ldquo;A false and deliberate misinformation campaign was launched from hostile countries to malign Pakistan,&rdquo;&nbsp;Tarar said. In the aftermath of the attack, several Indian and Israeli media outlets identified an individual named Naveed Akram as a &ldquo;Pakistani attacker.&rdquo; The assertion was later disproved after a Pakistani-Australian man sharing the same name publicly rejected any involvement in the incident. &ldquo;This is not me, and I have no connection whatsoever to that incident or to the person involved,&rdquo; Akram said, explaining that his personal photographs were taken from social media and wrongly attributed to the suspect. He said the false identification had serious personal consequences. &ldquo;I am stressed and scared and cannot even step outside safely,&rdquo; he said, describing the compounded trauma of witnessing the tragedy and then being misidentified online. Tarar said official clarifications later confirmed there was no Pakistani link to the incident.&nbsp; He cited a police statement from India identifying one of the attackers as a resident of Telangana, Hyderabad, holding an Indian passport issued by the Indian embassy in Sydney.&nbsp; The information minister added that Philippine authorities also verified the individual had traveled to the Philippines on an Indian passport. &ldquo;There was not a shred of evidence linking Pakistan to the incident,&rdquo; Tarar said, praising Australian authorities for waiting for verified facts before drawing conclusions. &ldquo;Now my question is, who&rsquo;s going to cover the damage that was caused to Pakistan through these fake posts and false information?&rdquo; The minister said the misinformation campaign coincided with Pakistan&rsquo;s commemoration of the December 16 APS Peshawar martyrs, calling the timing &ldquo;particularly painful.&rdquo; He reiterated Pakistan&rsquo;s long-standing position against terrorism. &ldquo;Pakistan has lost more than 90,000 lives to terrorism and has consistently condemned it in all forms and manifestations,&rdquo; Tarar said. He said Pakistan was not initiating legal action at this stage but expected corrections and apologies in line with journalistic norms. &ldquo;I think an apology would be nice,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It is part of journalistic norms to tender an apology on incorrect news posted and disseminated.&rdquo; Tarar confirmed that Pakistan&rsquo;s foreign missions have been provided verified information and video material to support expatriate communities affected by the false claims. &ldquo;All our embassies have been shared this video and the correct information, and they are available to our citizens for any assistance,&rdquo; he said. Pakistan&rsquo;s government condemned the Bondi Beach attack immediately after the incident and expressed solidarity with the Australian government and people. Tarar said both Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari issued strong condemnations from the outset.&nbsp;

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar says international media spread false, unverified claims linking Pakistan to the Bondi attack and must issue public apologies and corrections.

Articles tagged with "Bondi beach attack"

Accused Bondi killer Naveed Akram appears in court by video link

Pakistan yet to decide on joining international Gaza force: Foreign Office

Pakistan demands apologies over false Bondi attack reports, disinformation campaign

Accused Bondi killer Naveed Akram appears in court by video link