Indian and Afghan media outlets, along with several social media accounts, have been accused of running a coordinated propaganda campaign following the Sydney shooting, falsely attempting to link the attackers to Pakistan through fabricated videos, fake images, and unverified claims.
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The allegations circulating online have not been supported by any credible international or Australian sources. Authorities in Australia have confirmed that the individuals involved had no verified links to Pakistan.
According to Australian police, at least 15 people were killed and 42 others injured when Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram opened fire at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach on Sunday evening.
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed that Sajid Akram arrived in Australia on a student visa in 1998, which was converted to a partner visa in 2001, and that he later held a resident return visa. He added that Sajid’s son, Naveed Akram, is an Australian citizen, born in 2001.
Amid the spread of misinformation, a Sydney-based man named Sheikh Naveed released a video statement after his photographs were wrongly shared online and falsely linked to the attack. He categorically denied any connection to the incident.
In the video, Naveed said he has been living in Sydney since 2018, completed his higher education in Australia, and currently runs a rental business. He condemned the Bondi Beach shooting and expressed condolences to the victims and their families.
He explained that social media users falsely identified him as one of the attackers solely because he shares a similar name with one of the suspects. “They took my picture from Facebook and claimed I was involved. I want to clarify that I am a completely different person and have no connection whatsoever to this incident,” he said.
Naveed urged the public not to fall for propaganda spread by Indian-linked social media accounts and appealed for misleading posts to be reported to prevent further harm.
Speaking to AFP, the 30-year-old said he learned around 9:30pm on Sunday that he had been falsely identified as the shooter. “I couldn’t sleep at all. I received terrible messages and had to delete them,” he said.
“I’m terrified. I can’t even go outside. It feels life-threatening. My family is extremely worried as well,” he added.
He said he requested the Pakistan consulate to share his video statement after relatives in Punjab began receiving alarming phone calls. “It was destroying my image and my family’s image. People started calling them, and they were deeply concerned,” he said.
Naveed also said he informed the police about the situation and stressed his affection for Australia. “I love this country. I’ve never had safety issues here. People are kind and welcoming,” he said.
