Bondi Attackers' Indian Identity Confirmed; Fake Pakistani Narrative by Indian Media Debunked

*Sydney - December 16, 2025* — Following the tragic Bondi Beach shooting that claimed 15 lives, authorities have confirmed the identity of the attackers as an Australian father-son duo, dispelling a coordinated campaign by certain Indian media and online entities to falsely link Pakistan to the atrocity.

Despite the suspects' confirmed identities, established Indian media outlets and social media accounts engaged in a disinformation offensive, fabricating claims of Pakistani involvement. This event has exposed a pattern of propaganda-based reporting by segments of the Indian media, a practice that has drawn sharp criticism from international observers and fact-checkers.

The Attack and The Fabricated Pakistani Link

On December 15, 2025, a deadly shooting occurred at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's Bondi Beach, killing 15 people and wounding at least 42. Australian police identified the attackers as a 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son, both Australian residents. The father, who had legally owned multiple firearms for a decade, was killed at the scene.

However, almost immediately, misleading narratives began to surface online, primarily from Indian, Israeli, and Afghan social media accounts and media outlets, attempting to falsely associate the attackers with Pakistan.

A key piece of disinformation involved circulating the names Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram as the suspects. Pakistani authorities confirmed there is no evidence these individuals are Pakistani citizens. This false claim had dangerous real-world consequences, leading to a Pakistan-origin man in Sydney with a similar name being falsely identified and fearing for his life.

Key Australian Official Clarifications:

• Pakistani officials: Confirmed no evidence the named individuals are Pakistani citizens.

• Australian Home Affairs Minister: Clarified the father arrived in Australia on a student visa in 1998 and later held a partner visa, countering false claims of a tourist visa.

Documented Pattern of Indian Media Disinformation

The attempt to blame Pakistan for the Bondi attack is not an isolated incident but part of a documented history of sensationalist and false reporting by major Indian television channels during sensitive geopolitical events.

During the May 2025 India-Pakistan military tensions, mainstream Indian news channels engaged in a barrage of fabricated claims, which Al Jazeera's Journalism Review termed "India's national embarrassment". Fact-checkers and international outlets were forced to debunk this widespread misinformation.

A compilation by a Congress party spokesperson listed multiple instances of fake news aired by prominent Indian channels:

• Times Now Navbharat: Falsely reported that "Indian forces have entered Pakistan".

• Zee News: Falsely claimed the "Indian Army has captured Islamabad, and Pakistan has surrendered".

• Aaj Tak: Falsely reported terrorists had begun a suicide attack on Indian Army units, a claim the military had to specifically deny.

• India Today, ABP News, Republic Bangla: Falsely reported an attack on or the destruction of the Karachi port, using old or unrelated footage.

• NDTV: Falsely reported a large number of Pakistani tanks were marching towards Rajasthan, creating public panic.

These actions were described by senior journalist Gowhar Geelani as surpassing the propaganda tactics of Nazi propagandists Joseph Goebbels, sacrificing facts and credibility for ratings.

The Propaganda Ecosystem and International Condemnation

The disinformation extends beyond television. An explicit information warfare strategy is acknowledged by some Indian accounts. One account with nearly 100,000 followers stated, "In any conflict, the purpose of Information Warfare is clear: to confuse, mislead and break the thinking of the enemy… We will do this… and do it again and again".

This ecosystem deliberately blurs lines between fact and fiction. As Pratik Sinha, co-founder of the fact-checking website Alt News, explained, the propaganda is directed inward at domestic audiences who are more likely to believe it, especially amid information blackouts.

The Bondi Beach false narrative follows this exact playbook. As reported by Pakistan's Daily Times, Indian media and social media accounts, alongside Israeli and Afghan sources, actively spread the false Pakistani link in what appears to be a politically motivated agenda to tarnish Pakistan's image internationally.

This pattern of using fabricated news to blame Pakistan for international incidents is a recurring tactic, drawing criticism for undermining global information integrity and risking regional stability.