Canada pays final homage to Pakistan-origin family killed in hit-and-run

Four hearses arrive to funeral for the four Muslim family members killed in a deadly vehicle attack last week, in London, Ontario, on June 12, 2021. (The Canadian Press via AP)
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Updated 12 June 2021
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Canada pays final homage to Pakistan-origin family killed in hit-and-run

  • Attacker has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one of attempted murder
  • Canadian PM denounced as "terrorist" the attack that has shaken Canada and the Muslim community

LONDON, Canada: The city of London, Ontario paid homage on Saturday to a Muslim family deliberately mowed down by the driver of a pick-up truck, in an attack that has shocked Canadians and which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced as "terrorist."

Four members of the Afzaal family — a man and his wife, their teenage daughter and his mother — were out for a walk in their London neighborhood Sunday when a 20-year-old man in a black pickup truck drove into them on purpose, according to authorities.

A fifth family member, a nine-year-old boy, was seriously injured but is recovering.

Funeral services for Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha, 44, their daughter Yumna, 15 and Salman's mother Talat, 74, are set for early Saturday afternoon in the London Islamic center.

A ceremony open to the public is planned on a nearby football field.

The burial will be private, but people are being encouraged to line up along the route of the funeral cortege in solidarity with the victims of the attack, which has badly shaken the Muslim community and other Canadians as well.

Those taking part are urged to wear either green ribbons, to denounce Islamophobia, or mauve ones, the favorite color of young Yumna.

Numerous vigils and solemn commemorations have taken place across Canada in recent days, and on Friday several thousand people joined in an ecumenical walk through the streets of London, which is home to some 30,000 Muslims.

Many bore posters reading "We are all human" or "Hate kills."

People also paid homage Friday in Quebec City, where a January 2017 mosque shooting claimed six lives.

The latest attack has fueled debate about the prevalence of Islamophobia in Canada and, within the Muslim community, has heightened fears that displaying outward signs of religious affiliation can make a person a target.

The imam Aarji Anwer, from the Islamic center, told the CBC public network that he hoped the ceremony would help people grieve and bring some closure.
In a separate CBC interview, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said the attack had shocked people across Pakistan.

He called on the international community to take action against "hate websites which create hatred amongst human beings."

"The problem is, at the moment, there is not enough motivation and that some international leaders, or leaders in the Western countries, actually don't understand this phenomenon," he added. CBC is airing the interview Sunday, but released excerpts early.

Twenty-year-old Nathaniel Veltman, who has no criminal record and no known link to any extremist group, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one of attempted murder.

Police, who say the attack was planned and motivated by hatred, have not ruled out adding terrorism-related charges.
Trudeau has promised to step up the fight against extremist groups.

Following the attack, Canadian deputies adopted a nonbinding resolution, introduced by the left-leaning New Democratic Party, calling for a national summit on Islamophobia this summer.


World Bank president in Pakistan to discuss development projects, policy issues

Updated 01 February 2026
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World Bank president in Pakistan to discuss development projects, policy issues

  • Pakistan, World Bank are currently gearing up to implement a 10-year partnership framework to grant $20 billion loans to the cash-strapped nation
  • World Bank President Ajay Banga will hold meetings with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials during the high-level visit

ISLAMABAD: World Bank President Ajay Banga has arrived in Pakistan to hold talks with senior government officials on development projects and key policy issues, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday, as Islamabad seeks multilateral support to stabilize economy and accelerate growth.

The visit comes at a time when Pakistan and the World Bank are gearing up to implement a 10-year Country Partnership Framework (CPF) to grant $20 billion in loans to the cash-strapped nation.

The World Bank’s lending for Pakistan, due to start this year, will focus on education quality, child stunting, climate resilience, energy efficiency, inclusive development and private investment.

"World Bank President Ajay Banga arrives in Pakistan for a high-level visit," the state-run Pakistan TV Digital reported on Sunday. "During his stay, he will meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials to discuss economic reforms, development projects, and key policy issues."

Pakistan, which nearly defaulted on its foreign debt obligations in 2023, is currently making efforts to stabilize its economy under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.

Besides efforts to boost trade and foreign investment, Islamabad has been seeking support from multilateral financial institutions to ensure economic recovery.

“This partnership fosters a unified and focused vision for your county around six outcomes with clear, tangible and ambitious 10-year targets,” Martin Raiser, the World Bank vice president for South Asia, had said at the launch of the CPF in Jan. last year.

“We hope that the CPF will serve as an anchor for this engagement to keep us on the right track. Partnerships will equally be critical. More resources will be needed to have the impact at the scale that we wish to achieve and this will require close collaboration with all the development partners.”

In Dec., the World Bank said it had approved $700 million in ​financing for Pakistan under a multi-year initiative aimed at supporting the country's macroeconomic stability and service delivery.

It ‍followed a $47.9 ‍million World Bank grant ‍in August last year to improve primary education in Pakistan's most populous Punjab province.