The nation’s Information Minister said that his country has been the victim of a coordinated online disinformation campaign following the mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach.
Attaullah Tarar accused “hostile countries,” including India, of spreading false claims that one of the two attackers was a Pakistani national.
Speaking at a news conference in Islamabad, Attaullah said Pakistan’s leadership strongly condemned Sunday’s attack, which killed 15 people in an anti-semitic shooting targeting Jews celebrating Hanukkah.
The minister said misleading information began circulating almost immediately after the attack, with social media posts falsely identifying one of the suspects as a Pakistani national named Naveed Akram.
He said the claims spread rapidly across digital platforms and were repeated by some media outlets without verification.
Attaullah said subsequent findings, including confirmation by Indian police, established that one of the attackers, Sajid Akram, was from India, while his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram – who was also involved – was born in Australia.
The minister said the misinformation appeared to stem from a case of mistaken identity, as a Pakistani man living in Sydney shares the same name as one of the two suspects.
Attaullah added that the Pakistani man – also named Naveed Akram – had released a video denying any involvement and urging the public not to associate him with the attack.
Attaullah said the Pakistani man was “a victim of a malicious and organised campaign” and that the disinformation effort originated in India. — AP
