- Naela praises efforts of Australian officials in arrests of killers
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Australia Naela Chohan on Sunday said that arrangements were being made to transfer the Pakistani student, who was murdered in Australia, to Pakistan.
“The Pakistani High Commission is constantly in touch with the victim family and Australian officials,” she said. The High Commissioner praised the efforts of the Australian officials that led to the timely arrests of the murderers.
She said that the Australian president has helped in calming down the Pakistani community. Earlier on April 6, a 29-year-old man, identified as Zeeshan Akbar, was stabbed to death likely by two Australian teenage boys who were taken into police custody for interrogation. Akbar was found with multiple stab wounds late on Thursday.
Police believe the suspected murderers, aged 15 and 16, went on a rampage, allegedly stabbing another man in the stomach, hitting a third with a tyre iron, and a fourth with a beer bottle. The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that IS appeared to be scrawled in blood on a window at the petrol station, referring to the Islamic State militant group.
The authorities did not confirm the gruesome details but Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn said: “There was physical evidence at the scene which does go to our view that this might be an act of terrorism.” The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper said that one of the teenagers’ mother thought her son had been radicalised in recent weeks.
Burn added that both were known to police for other offences, but not terrorism. The 16-year-old was being investigated for terror links, she said. Local police commander Superintendent Rod Smith described the incident as absolutely horrific and said it doesn’t get more serious than this.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called it shocking and reiterated concerns about the radicalisation of youths in Australia.
