Pakistani man, his son martyred while saving worshippers from NZ mosque attacker

In a heroic act, Pakistani man and his son put up a strong defence against the armed attacker at New Zealand mosque and embraced martyrdom, ARY News reported on Saturday.

Naeem Rashid and his son Dr Talha Naeem were present at the Al Noor Mosque when the attacker barged into the mosque and started, everyone coming in his way, spraying with bullets.

Rashid, who was injured in his bid to overpower the attacker, breathed his last late Friday night. He hailed from Abbottabad. Rashid’s son, Talha Naeem, was among those who was also martyred in the mosque shooting.

Foreign Office on Saturday evening confirmed that at least six Pakistanis were martyred in the Christchurch mosque shootings while three others remained missing as of yet.

As per the Foreign Office, the names of Pakistanis who were martyred in yesterday’s horrific terror attack by a white supremacist Brenton Tarrant were as follows: Sohail Shahid (Lahore); Syed Jahandad Ali (Lahore); Syed Areeb Ahmed (Karachi); Mahboob Haroon (Islamabad); Naeem Rashid (Abbottabad); Talha Naeem (Abbottabad).

FO spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal, in a tweet, said the three other Pakistani “were being identified” and the autopsies on the dead was being carried out as per local law, after which formal announcements would be made.

Dr Faisal also announced that the government would facilitate New Zealand visa acquisition for the families of injured and martyred Pakistanis.