Pakistani media alleges Bondi Beach shooters were 'Afghan'; says country is target of ‘media terrorism’

About 16 people died in the mass shooting at Bondi Beach, Australia, during a Jewish festival event on Sunday. Initial news reports said that the two shooters were a Pakistani father and son duo.

Pakistani media has now claimed that the country is a target of ‘media terrorism’ orchestrated by Indian, Afghan, and Israeli media outlets.

News channel ARY claimed during a TV broadcast that the shooters, the father and son duo, were from Afghanistan.

The broadcast also alleged that the recent Australian terror attack was a “False Flag operation and said that the attackers were being utilised by Israel to carry out the attack". The network said that the Australian government withheld the nationality of the two suspects.

The two shooters who carried out the Sunday evening terror attack were identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and 24-year-old Naveed Akram. Both were arrested on the scene.
Sajid later died of bullet injuries after a confrontation with the police. Naveed suffered critical injuries and is currently at the hospital.

While police did not confirm the names of the attackers to the media, their ages and places of residence, and their firearms licenses were released. 

Who are Naveed and Sajid Akram?

Naveed Akram was born in Australia in 2001, and his father arrived in the country in 1998 on a student visa. He later transferred to a partner visa in 2001. Sajid was a licensed gun owner and was also part of a gun club. Both had six firearms licenced to them.

It was revealed that the son was an unemployed bricklayer. Naveed’s mother, who spoke to the  Sydney Morning Herald, said that her son lied about his whereabouts this week.

Naveed was identified as a Pakistani national according to the US intelligence officials' briefing during the investigation. However Australian police officials have said that "very little" is known about the duo. 

One police source to 9News said that Naveed may have had historical links to an Islamic state terror cell and that an IS flag was located in his car at the scene.

Naveed was also under the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's radar in 2019 for his ties to the ISIS cell.

However, there was "no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence," the officer said

Sydney Muslim leaders have refused to perform funeral rites for the 50-year-old shooter. One community leader, Dr Jamal Rifi said, “We don’t see them (the offenders) as inside the fold of Islam or as Muslims”.