JHANG: Thousands of Pakistanis clad in white gathered in the central city of Jhang Friday to make a human image of Christchurch’s Al Noor mosque, where 50 people were killed by a white supremacist four weeks ago.
Drone images showed worshippers standing in formation, their snow-white traditional shalwar kameez and prayer caps in stark contrast to the emerald green of a public field, as a second group formed the words “Islam is peace” nearby.
Huge New Zealand and Pakistani flags were also displayed along with a giant banner which read: “Solidarity with the martyrs of Christchurch from Pakistan.”
The tribute was organized by the Muslim Institute, a non-government organization aimed at promoting peace and stability in the Muslim world, which also released the drone footage.
Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian and self-avowed white supremacist, has been charged with 50 counts of murder and 39 of attempted murder after opening fire at the Linwood and Al Noor mosques on March 15.
Nine of the victims were of Pakistani origin. One, Naeem Rashid, was posthumously given an award for bravery by Pakistan after he apparently tried to tackle the gunman before being shot.
Tribute organizers praised the New Zealand government after what had been a “very tough time” for Muslims in the country — especially Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
Her response “not only soothed the wounds of Muslims but also assured them that Muslims in their country are safe,” Sahibzada Sultan Ahmad Ali, a religious scholar and one of the organizers, told AFP.
“We worked really hard to make this model,” one participant, Noor Hassan, told AFP of the tribute.
“It was so pleasant that we were ready to stand like this for the whole day,” he added.
Thousands of Pakistanis form human chain in image of Christchurch mosque
Thousands of Pakistanis form human chain in image of Christchurch mosque
- A 28-year-old Australian opened fire at the Linwood and Al Noor mosques on March 15
- Fifty people died in the attack, nine of them Pakistanis
Pakistan PM’s aide urges parents to vaccinate children against polio in campaign starting Feb. 2
- Islamabad last year conducted six campaigns that reduced cases to 30 from 74 in 2024
- Pakistan targets more than 45 million children in first immunization campaign of 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan prime minister’s focal person for polio eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq on Saturday urged parents to ensure their children are vaccinated against the disease as the country gears up to launch the first nationwide immunization campaign of this year on Feb. 2, seeking to curb the spread of the virus.
Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is through repeated vaccination for every child under five.
Pakistan aims to vaccinate more than 45 million children against polio during the first nationwide immunization drive of 2026, according to the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC).
The anti-polio campaign will be launched on Feb. 2 and run till Feb. 8. It will run simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which are the only two countries where polio remains an endemic.
“Public cooperation is crucial for polio eradication,” Farooq said in a statement. “Parents must ensure that their children receive polio drops in every campaign.”
The NEOC last year conducted six nationwide campaigns against poliovirus in Pakistan, where cases came down from 74 in 2024 to 30 in 2025.
Farooq said more than 400,000 polio workers will go door-to-door to administer polio drops to children, urging communities to cooperate with vaccinators.
“Religious scholars and the media should play an effective role in polio awareness,” she added.
