Nine Pakistanis among Christchurch victims, FO confirms

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ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office on Sunday confirmed the death of three  Pakistanis who were declared ‘missing’ on Saturday a day after a white supremacist attacked two mosques in Christchurch, killing 49 people, including nine Pakistanis.

After the announcement by the FO spokesperson Mohammad Faisal, the total number of Pakistani citizens killed in the attacks has touched nine.

In a Tweet on Sunday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Faisal wrote: “Mr Zeeshan Raza, his father Mr Ghulam Hussain and mother Ms. Karam bibi have now been confirmed to have embraced Shahadat in the terrorist attack in . We are in touch with their family. A total of 9 Pakistanis embraced Shahadat in

Earlier on Saturday, FO confirmed that six Pakistanis were martyred among 49 deceased in the mosque attack. Mohammad Faisal said on Saturday said: “Sohail Shahid, Syed Jahandad Ali, Syed Areeb Ahmed, Mahboob Haroon, Naeem Rashid and his son, Talha Naeem, have been pronounced dead by the authorities.”

The names of martyred Pakistanis are:

  1. Mr Sohail Shahid
  2. Syed Jahandad Ali
  3. Syed Areeb Ahmed
  4. Mr Mahboob Haroon
  5. Mr Naeem Rashid
  6. Mr Talha Naeem
  7. Mr Zeeshan Raza
  8.  Mr Ghulam Hussain
  9. Ms Karam

Naeem Rashid and his son Talha Naeem tried to intercept the shooter, but they were shot dead in their attempt. Naeem and Talha, who hailed from Abbottabad, were injured as they attempted to overpower the attacker and later succumbed to their injuries.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi also spoke to the media about the terror attack on Saturday.

“We are waiting for identification of [missing] Pakistanis. Obviously I’m getting more worried with time as we have not been able to contact them [the missing Pakistanis] and I fear that they might be on the list of martyrs. But nothing has been communicated to us officially yet and to say anything before an official confirmation will be speculation,” he said while condemning the attack in strong words.

TERRORIST CHARGED WITH MURDER:

Meanwhile, a right-wing extremist who filmed himself on a shooting rampage flashed a white power gesture as he appeared in a Christchurch court on Saturday and was charged with murder.

Australian-born 28-year-old Brenton Tarrant stood in the dock wearing handcuffs and a white prison smock, as the judge read a single murder charge against him. A raft of further charges is expected.

The former fitness instructor and self-professed fascist occasionally turned to look at media present in court during the brief hearing that the public were excluded from for security reasons.

Flanked by armed police he made an upside-down “okay” signal, a symbol used by white power groups across the globe. He did not request bail and was taken into custody until his next court appearance which is scheduled for April 5.

A short distance from the court, 39 people were being treated in hospital for gunshot wounds and other injuries inflicted in the massacre.

The wounded included a two-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl, who was in critical condition.

‘MUSLIMS STILL LOVE THIS COUNTRY’:

In a separate development, an imam who was leading prayers at one of the mosques said the Muslim community’s love for New Zealand would not be shaken by the massacre, reported The Telegraph.

“We still love this country,” said Ibrahim Abdul Halim, imam of Linwood Mosque, vowing that extremists would “never ever touch our confidence”.

Halim gave a harrowing account of the moment during Friday prayers when gunshots rang out in the mosque, replacing peaceful reflection with screaming, bloodshed and death.

“Everyone laid down on the floor, and some women started crying, some people died immediately,” he said.

But, he said, New Zealand Muslims still felt at home in the south Pacific nation.

“My children live here” he said, adding, “we are happy”.

 

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