Imran Khan condemns brutal killing of Muslim family of Pakistani origin in Canada

Gulf Today Report

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday expressed grief at and denounced the killing of a Muslim Pakistani-origin Canadian family in London, Ontario.

Imran has tweeted about the incident and condemned the attack.“Saddened to learn of the killing of a Muslim Pakistani-origin Canadian family in London, Ontario. This condemnable act of terrorism reveals the growing Islamophobia in Western countries. Islamophobia needs to be countered holistically by the international community, " Imran Khan said

READ MORE

Muslim family of four killed in premeditated Canada truck attack

UAE sends 960 tonnes of urgent food medical supplies to Gaza Strip

Pakistan launches five-day anti-polio campaign

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also took to Twitter to condemn the incident, saying three generations of Pakistani-Canadians had been killed for their faith.

'Test case for Canadian government'

In a separate statement, the minister said the incident was a "test case for the Canadian government and society." He went on to add that the Canadian government must play its due role in restoring the confidence and protection of the Muslims residing in the country.

Qureshi informed that the Pakistani Consul General in Toronto established contact with the relatives of the victim family who lost their lives in the tragic incident.

The relatives, he added, were offered facilitation in terms of transportation of the bodies, however, it was informed that the burial had been planned to take place in Canada. The foreign minister appealed to Pakistanis residing in Canada to show solidarity to the heirs of those affected.

A day before, the police said a man accused of killing four members of a Canadian Muslim family after running them over in his pickup truck, targeted them in an attack motivated by hate.

"There is evidence that this was a planned, premeditated act, motivated by hate," Detective Superintendent Paul Waight of the London police department told reporters. "We believe the victims were targeted because of their Islamic faith," Waight said.

He added that the police in London — 200km southwest of Toronto — were consulting with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and prosecutors about potentially filing terrorism charges.

Veltman, a resident of London who was arrested after the incident, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. He is due back in court on Thursday after being remanded to custody on Monday.

People attend a memorial at the location where a family of five was hit by a driver, in London, Ontario. AP

"There is evidence that this was a planned, premeditated act, motivated by hate," Detective Superintendent Paul Waight of the London police department told reporters.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter that he was "horrified" by the news, adding that "Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities. This hate is insidious and despicable - and it must stop."

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Twitter that "justice must be served for the horrific act of hatred that took place."

"We believe the victims were targeted because of their Islamic faith," Waight said.

Police in London - 200 km (120 miles) southwest of Toronto - were consulting the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and prosecutors about potentially filing terrorism charges, he said.

Police have not released the victims' names, but the London Free Press said that among the dead were Syed Afzaal, 46, his wife, Madiha Salman, 44, and their 15-year-old daughter, Yumnah Afzaal. Syed Afzaal’s 74-year-old mother, whose name has not been confirmed, also died. Their 9-year-old son, Faez Afzaal, is in the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to Associated Press.

The family immigrated from Pakistan about 14 years ago, according to the local media reports.

London, which has about 400,000 residents, has a large Muslim community and Holder said Arabic is the second-most-spoken language after English in the city.

The teenage girl who was killed "will be deeply missed by fellow students and staff at Oakridge Secondary School," the school said in a statement.

A man who described himself as a neighbor said in an interview with Global News he met with the family on holidays.

"He was a family guy, very much involved in the community, a regular member of our mosque, a really, really great father," the neighbor, who was not identified, said of Syed Afzaal.