ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday demanded formal apologies and corrections from international media outlets that falsely linked Pakistan to the deadly shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach, calling the reports baseless and deeply damaging.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Tarar said unverified claims were deliberately circulated by some foreign media, wrongly portraying one of the attackers as Pakistani. He described the coverage as a “vicious and planned disinformation campaign” aimed at maligning Pakistan’s image globally.
To support his claim, the minister presented video evidence and timelines showing how misinformation spread rapidly without proper fact-checking. “A false and deliberate campaign was launched from hostile countries to defame Pakistan,” he said, stressing that no credible proof ever connected Pakistan to the attack.
The Bondi Beach shooting claimed 15 lives and triggered widespread grief. Soon after the incident, several Indian and Israeli media outlets identified an individual named Naveed Akram as a Pakistani attacker. However, the claim was later proven false when a Pakistani-Australian man with the same name publicly rejected any link to the shooting.
“This is not me. I have no connection to this incident at all,” Akram said, explaining that his social media photos were wrongly used to label him as the shooter. He shared that the false reports caused severe emotional distress, leaving him fearful and unable to move freely. “I am stressed, scared, and traumatised,” he added.
Tarar said official investigations later confirmed there was no Pakistani involvement. He cited police statements identifying one of the attackers as an Indian national from Telangana, Hyderabad, holding an Indian passport issued in Sydney. Philippine authorities also verified that the suspect had travelled on an Indian passport.
“There was not a single piece of evidence linking Pakistan to this tragedy,” Tarar said, while appreciating Australian authorities for acting responsibly and waiting for verified facts. He questioned who would now repair the reputational harm caused by fake news and reckless reporting.
The minister noted that the misinformation spread at a particularly painful time, as Pakistan was commemorating the December 16 APS Peshawar martyrs. He reiterated Pakistan’s firm stance against terrorism. “Pakistan has lost over 90,000 lives in the fight against terrorism and has always condemned it in all its forms,” he said.
Tarar clarified that Pakistan was not seeking legal action at this stage but expected apologies in line with journalistic ethics. “Issuing an apology is part of professional media norms when incorrect information is published,” he said.
He also confirmed that Pakistan’s embassies worldwide had been provided with verified information and video material to assist overseas Pakistanis affected by the false claims. “Our missions are fully available to support our citizens,” he added.
The government of Pakistan strongly condemned the Bondi Beach attack immediately after it occurred and expressed solidarity with Australia. Tarar said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari had both issued clear condemnations and messages of support from the outset.
