ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal on Saturday tweeted that six Pakistanis had been martyred in the New Zealand mosque attacks carried out by an Australian terrorist.
In a tweet, Dr Faisal said the following Pakistanis had lost their lives.
- Mr Sohail Shahid
- Syed Jahandad Ali
- Syed Areeb Ahmed
- Mr Mahboob Haroon
- Mr Naeem Rashid
- Mr Talha Naeem
“Other 3 missing are still being identified,” Dr Faisal further said in his tweet.
Terrorism in #NewZealand: Mr. Sohail Shahid, Syed Jahandad Ali, Syed Areeb Ahmed, Mr. Mahboob Haroon, Mr. Naeem Rashid and his son Mr. Talha Naeem have been announced dead by #NewZealand authorities. Other 3 missing are still being identified. #ChristchurchMosqueShooting
— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@DrMFaisal) March 16, 2019
‘Bodies of four martyrs to be brought to Pakistan’
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that families of four Pakistani martyrs of Christchurch terror attacks had requested for bringing bodies of their loved ones to Pakistan, while relatives of two victims wanted their burial in New Zealand.
Speaking to Geo News, the foreign minister said so far six Pakistani martyrs of the attacks had been identified, while three were missing.
He said the government would fully cooperate in bringing bodies of four Pakistani martyrs back to country.
Regarding the three missing Pakistani nationals, Qureshi said they would be identified through DNA testing, which was likely to take some time. He said one injured Pakistani citizen was in critical condition and being treated in the ICU of a Christchurch hospital.
Pakistani Naeem Rashid attempted to stop the terrorist who opened fire at the Al Noor mosque succumbed to his injuries, his son was among those who lost their lives at the mosque.
At least 49 people lost their lives when 28-year-old right-wing extremist Brenton Tarrant attacked two mosques in Christchurch. 41 people lost their lives at the Al Noor Mosque, while seven more died at a mosque in the suburb of Linwood.
The terrorist appeared in a local court earlier today on murder charges. He was remanded in custody with no bail requested and is scheduled to appear in the South Island city’s High Court on April 5 and will likely face further charges.
