Author: Shameneh Majid
Claim: Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that the Bondi Beach attackers visited Pakistan between 1 and 5 December 2025.
Fact: The claim is false. No such statement has been issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Recently an X post by user ‘Lt Colonel Vikas Gurjar’ claimed that Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry had released an official statement confirming that the attackers or “certain individuals linked to” the recent Bondi Beach incident had travelled to Pakistan in the first week of December 2025.
The post includes an apparent photograph or scan of the said statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which “noted the circulation of international reports” regarding the travel history of the Bondi Beach attackers and confirmed that they were present in the “Rawalpindi Cantonment area” earlier this month.
The statement further elaborates that they were granted visas through a certain category known as the “Special Guests of the Establishment” as part of an alleged “Non-State Actor Cultural Exchange Program”.
X post by user ‘Lt Colonel Vikas Gurjar’, sharing the claim on 16 December 2025
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check investigated and found that there is no truth or accuracy to this claim. No such official statement was issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on any government website or platform. Instead, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has released a statement via the Government of Pakistan’s Facebook page, expressing his solidarity and condolences, and Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also publicly condemned the attack.
Additionally, the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarrar has refuted claims of the attackers being linked to Pakistan and demanded an apology for the disinformation campaign. In a press conference hosted on 17 December 2025, Tarrar condemned the incident while also calling out digital and print media platforms that were quick to associate Pakistan with the attack.
Moreover, there are no news reports or statements from the Australian police alleging that the suspects in the Bondi Beach shooting had visited Pakistan right before the incident or that they were linked to Pakistan. In fact, further investigation into this part of the claim initially led us to find a report by BBC Verify which deemed Pakistan to be falsely accused.
According to the Australian police one of the two suspects in the Bondi Beach shooting, Sajid Akram, was of Indian-origin while the other suspect, his son, Naveed Akram, was born in Australia. Investigations have revealed that their recent travel history included a trip to the Philippines in the weeks leading up to the attack, not Pakistan.
Moreover, Indian police also confirmed that Sajid Akram, who was from Hyderabad, India, had limited contact with his family in India. Both father and son had travelled to the Philippines from 1 to 28 November 2025. However, Manila’s national security adviser has denied reports of any military-style training that are circulating online.
Virality
Soch Fact Check carried out a general analysis of the claim’s circulation across internet sources, government websites, and social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Threads. We found that it was largely propagated as part of a disinformation campaign and many posts have now been deleted.
The claim was shared on X here and here.
It was shared on Facebook here and here, and here on Instagram .
Conclusion: The notification in the claim is fake.No such official announcement or statement has been issued by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and there is no confirmation of the suspects’ visit to Pakistan in the weeks leading up to the Bondi Beach attack.
Background image in cover photo: X.
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