ISLAMABAD: Out of the nine Pakistani nationals who were shot dead in two New Zealand mosques last week, eight were laid to rest on Friday after a mass funeral in Christchurch, the largest city of the country’s South Island.
At least 50 people were killed in twin attacks on two mosques on March 15 when a white supremacist opened fire on the worshippers.
“Today, eight Pakistani Shaheed (martyrs) have been buried in a local graveyard in Christchurch according to Islamic rituals. More than 20 family members, who flew from Pakistan, were able to join (the procession),” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Dr. Muhammad Faisal tweeted on Friday.
Travel arrangements for the family members of the victims were facilitated by Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) and the government of New Zealand.
On Friday, thousands of people gathered for a mass funeral which was “attended by more than 5,000 people, of which there were about 1,500 Muslims, who came from all over New Zealand...Shaheed (martyred) Syed Areeb Ahmed will be repatriated to Pakistan in the next few days. His family is being kept informed”, excerpts from a statement released by the FO read.
“Emotions were high, during the funeral prayers,” Kaleem Khan, a Pakistani community leader, told Arab News from Christchurch.
Meanwhile, as a mark of respect, New Zealand broadcasted the Islamic call to prayer on Friday, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern joining the congregation of mourners near Al-Noor mosque, one of the two locations which had been targeted last week.
Ardern and thousands of others observed two minutes of silence in memory of the victims, following which the premier said that New Zealand was mourning with the families of the victims.
A day earlier, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had called Ardern to condemn last week’s attacks before expressing his admiration over her handling of the situation, particularly her attempts to help the nation’s grieving Muslim community heal.
Mosque attack victims: Eight Pakistanis buried in Christchurch
Mosque attack victims: Eight Pakistanis buried in Christchurch
- Funeral was attended by more than 5,000 people
- New Zealand broadcasts the Islamic call to prayer across the country
Pakistan discusses sovereign financing options amid IMF caution on debt risks
- Finance Minister Aurangzeb discusses cooperation with Citibank and how to leverage its global capacities
- IMF acknowledges economic progress but warns that high public debt and external shocks threaten stability
KARACHI: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb met with officials from a global bank on Tuesday to discuss sovereign financing options and potential cooperation as the government continues to work with external partners on debt management and capital market issues, said an official statement.
The discussions with Citibank came amid Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen its economy under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan program. While the IMF has acknowledged progress, it has also cautioned that the country’s recovery remains fragile and warned that high public debt, fiscal pressures and exposure to external shocks continue to pose risks to long-term stability.
“The meeting provided an opportunity to engage on sovereign financing solutions and review potential avenues for cooperation between the Government and Citibank,” the finance ministry said.
The term “sovereign financing solutions” is used to cover financing, debt management and market-related services offered to governments.
The statement said the finance minister’s team overseeing debt management, capital markets and other relevant policy areas was also present at the meeting.
“The Finance Ministry team briefed the [bank] delegation on the Government’s ongoing work on sovereign funding programs, including preparatory work on medium-term note structures, while noting that immediate focus remains on concluding priority transactions currently under process,” the ministry said.
The finance minister stressed the value of sustained engagement and senior-level involvement by international financial institutions, saying Pakistan has been an important market for global banks in the past.
His team also highlighted areas where Citibank’s global capabilities could be leveraged by the government.
Pakistan faced a prolonged economic crisis in recent years, marked by fiscal pressure, high debt levels and balance-of-payments difficulties, and subsequently entered an IMF-supported program to stabilize the economy. Growth has been modest, inflation has eased from earlier highs, and foreign exchange reserves have improved under the program’s terms, according to IMF and government data.
The government said it remains focused on structural reforms and on attracting investment as part of broader efforts to strengthen economic fundamentals and support growth.
