Mr Qamar Zaman, the Consul General of Pakistan in Sydney, says he has spoken to a man of Pakistan origin living in Sydney who has been wrongly identified on various social media accounts as one of two men allegedly responsible for the Bondi Beach shooting. Occurring on December 14 as a Jewish community Hanukkah/Chanukah gathering was also taking place, the Bondi Beach attack has resulted in at least 16 deaths and 40 injured.

On Monday morning, authorities confirmed that Sajid Akram, 50, and son Naveed Akram, 24, were the alleged shooters. The 50-year-old man was shot by police and died at the scene, while the 24-year-old suffered critical injuries and was taken to hospital under police guard, according to NSW Police.

A statement published on the official Pakistan Consulate General Sydney Facebook account on Monday read: “Mr Qamar Zaman Consul General spoke to Mr Naveed Akram S/o Muhammad Akram, a Pakistan origin resident of Sydney, Australia, who is being falsely mixed up with Bondi Shooter, being namesake, earlier in the morning. This act has endangered the life of an innocent Pakistani national.”

A video accompanying the post featured the Sydney resident Naveed Akram that the Consul General had spoken to, in which Mr Akram said “I really condemn” the “very serious and terrible incident”.

“This should not have happened,” he said. “The other thing that I’m going to talk about is misinformation that has been spread on social media. As per media reports, one of the shooter’s names was Naveed Akram and my name is Naveed Akram as well.

“Some of the social media accounts, they have taken my pictures from my Facebook account and they are linking that picture to that shooter,” he continued.

“So I’m going to clearly tell everyone that that is not me and I have nothing to do with that incident or with that person.”

Mr Akram said he was “very stressed and scared” following this misinformation, and that “I cannot even go outside safely”. He asked the public to “report” any social media accounts they may come across which feature posts that have his photo being linked to the Bondi Beach shooting.

Draw Your Box has sighted various social media posts from multiple accounts featuring Mr Akram’s image in connection to the Bondi Beach shooting, as well as a well-known international news media outlet having embedded one of these social media posts in their news coverage of the incident.

Draw Your Box has contacted the Pakistan Consulate General Sydney for comment, and also reached out to connect with Mr Akram. Meanwhile the Consulate’s Facebook post also stated: “The Government of Pakistan has unequivocally condemned the tragic incident that occurred at Bondi Beach. Our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences are extended to the victims and their families during this profoundly difficult time.

“The Pakistani Government stands firm in its belief that terrorism, in any form, constitutes a heinous crime against humanity and must be condemned without reservation.

“In light of these events, members of the Pakistani community in Sydney are urged to remain vigilant and maintain strong connections with one another. Unity and awareness within the community are vital as we collectively navigate this challenging period.”

On Monday morning, NSW Police confirmed that investigations are continuing into the “mass shooting that resulted in 16 people dying and 40 people being injured”.  

Emergency services were called to Bondi Beach about 6:40pm on Sunday evening after reports of a public place shooting. A Jewish community gathering was being held at Bondi Beach to celebrate the start of Hanukkah/Chanukah.

“What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told media on Monday. “The Jewish community are hurting today. Today, all Australians wrap our arms around them and say, we stand with you. We will do whatever is necessary to stamp out antisemitism.”

In a statement provided to Draw Your Box on Sunday evening, NSW Minister for Multiculturalism, Steve Kamper described the Bondi Beach shooting as “a despicable and cowardly act”.

“The scenes we have seen tonight at Bondi are truly horrific. What is clear is that the Chanukah Festival and our Jewish community was targeted,” he said.

“This is a despicable and cowardly act that has no place in our country. It is an attack on the very fabric of our nation. My heart goes out to the victims and their families, and I want to express my deepest sympathies and condolences.

“I would also like to sincerely thank our first responders and brave members of the public who assisted the innocent victims of today’s attack, and showed the very best of our nation. Police are beginning their investigation and tonight’s attack will be met with a widespread law enforcement response.

“Hate, violence and antisemitism have no place in our nation.”

The NSW Faith Affairs Council and the Multicultural NSW Advisory Board said they extend “deepest sympathies to the victims of the tragic shooting at Bondi Beach on Sunday 14 December 2025”.

“Our prayers and thoughts are with the victims, their families and everyone impacted by this unspeakable act of violence targeting our Australian Jewish community,” read an official joint statement from The Right Reverend Dr Michael Stead (Chair, NSW Faith Affairs Council), Simon Chan AM (Chair, Multicultural NSW Advisory Board) and Joseph La Posta (CEO, Multicultural NSW).

“We extend our sympathies to the Jewish community, who will be deeply impacted by this terrorist incident, at a time of year when they should be coming together to celebrate the start of Chanukah with family and friends.

“In the face of this tragedy, we call on the people of New South Wales to remain steadfast in our commitment to peace, humanity and to each other as Australians. We will not let hatred and violence divide us. Across all our cultures and faiths, will stand united in sympathy, compassion and solidarity.”

If you or someone in your care needs crisis support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can also call Beyond Blue for mental health advice and support on 1300 22 46 36.

Top image source: Canva and Facebook/Pakistan Consulate General Sydney