Sydney: Following the deadly attack at Bondi Beach, misleading claims linking Pakistan to the incident have emerged online. Israeli, Indian, and Afghan social media accounts and media outlets tried to associate the attackers with Pakistan.
The Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post labeled the attackers as Pakistani, while accounts linked to India’s RAW intelligence also spread anti-Pakistan propaganda. However, according to Pakistani authorities, there is no evidence that Sajid Akram or Naveed Akram are Pakistani citizens.
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The Australian police reported that 15 people were killed in the shooting, and the search for suspects has concluded. Pakistani officials confirmed that no reports from the local Pakistani community suggest any connection to Pakistan.
Some media falsely claimed that Sajid Akram entered Australia on a tourist visa. In reality, he arrived in 1998 on a student visa and later switched to a partner visa after marrying an Australian woman. Australian Home Minister Tony Burke confirmed that Sajid Akram had been a member of a gun club for 10 years and held six licensed firearms.
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Authorities are reviewing Australia’s gun laws following the attack. The father-son attackers, according to local sources, were both Australian residents. The father possessed multiple licensed guns, while the son had none and was born and raised in Australia. Despite this, Israeli, Indian, and Afghan propaganda attempted to link Pakistan, reflecting a politically motivated agenda.