A Pakistani victim of the Christchurch attack tried tackling the gunman before being shot dead will be awarded posthumously, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Sunday. Naaem Rashid, a resident of Jinnanabad, Abbottabad, Pakistan and a Professor in New Zealand, was killed mercilessly in the ghastly Al Noor mosque, Christchurch terror attack.
The Pakistani foreign office confirmed that nine of its citizens had been killed in the mass shootings at two mosques in the New Zealand city which claimed the lives of 50 people along with others who had emigrated from across the world for employment and educational purposes.
A video has been going around showing the massacre and one man approaching the gun man. This man was Naeem Rashid though his face was blurred and is yet to be formally identified in the video. It really requires a lot of courage in the way that Rashid tried tackling the terrorist.
Imran Khaan tweeted – “Pakistan is proud of Mian Naeem Rashid who was martyred trying to tackle the White Supremacist terrorist & his courage will be recognised with a national award.” In Pakistan, there are several awards for recognizing civilian bravery but in his tweet, Imran Khan did not specify which one in particular would be awarded to Rashid. His son too died in the mass massacre.
Khurshid Alam, Rashid’s elder brother spoke to AFP by telephone from Abbottabad and said he is “proud” of his sibling.
“He could have saved his life but he preferred to save others. He was a brave guy,” Alam said, confirming that one of his two nephews, Talha Naeem, was also killed.
He said his brother would likely be buried in New Zealand, adding that the family are seeking visas to attend but that they were difficult to get quickly.
