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Bondi Beach Attack: Australian Shooter Confirmed Indian, Not Pakistani; Pakistani Minister Condemns False Media Reports

By The South Asia Times

Islamabad/Sydney - Recent developments in the Bondi Beach terror attack in Sydney have clarified the nationality of one of the attackers, debunking earlier media reports linking him to Pakistan.

The father-son duo, Sajid and Naveed Akram, were responsible for the December 14 shooting that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach.

According to a statement from Telangana police on December 16, Sajid Akram is originally from Hyderabad, India, but migrated to Australia in 1998.

He married Venera Grosso, a woman of European origin, and settled permanently in Australia. The couple has two children: Naveed, one of the attackers, and a daughter, both born in Australia and holding Australian citizenship. Sajid Akram currently holds an Indian passport.

The police statement noted that Sajid Akram visited India six times. Australian authorities are investigating the Akram duo’s international connections, including contacts in India and among the Indian diaspora in Australia.

Earlier, several Indian and Israeli media outlets had claimed, without verification or confirmation from Australian authorities, that one of the attackers had links to Pakistan. Following the latest official confirmation of his Indian origin, Indian media coverage on this angle has largely gone silent.

Speaking in Islamabad on Wednesday, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar condemned the false reporting by Indian and Israeli media. “There was no evidence to link the attacker with Pakistan, and these irresponsible reports misled public opinion internationally,” Tarar said.

He reiterated Pakistan’s solidarity with Australia, praising the courage of an Australian bystander who subdued one of the attackers and prevented further loss of life.

The incident has once again highlighted the critical importance of verifying information before publication, particularly in cases involving terrorism, where unverified claims can inflame tensions and unfairly implicate innocent countries