A civilian identified as Qari Mohammad Iqbal, a trainer at Jamia Zia-ul-Uloom in Poonch and resident of Baila, was killed in a cross-border Pakistani Shelling on Tuesday, local officers showed. The incident took place amid sparkling hostilities alongside the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.
However, outrage has erupted on social media after multiple national news channels inaccurately reported Qari Iqbal’s death as that of a “terrorist” neutralised by Indian airstrikes. Channels had been singled out for broadcasting the declaration without verification, prompting robust condemnation from locals and civil society individuals.
Qari Mohammad Iqbal killed in Pakistani Shelling
Mohemmed Zubair of AltNews has criticised the coverage, writing: “This is shameful by Indian news channels. Qari Mohammad Iqbal from Poonch, India was killed the day prior to this in shelling from Pakistan and is being portrayed as a ‘terrorist’.” Another shared post accused of “shamelessly labelling Qari Saab as a terrorist,” notwithstanding his civilian status and neighborhood status as a teacher.
Innocent Poonch Seminary Teacher lost life
Local citizens and network leaders defined Qari Iqbal as a reputable Islamic student and teacher who had devoted years to the seminary in Poonch. “He was an innocent civilian who killed in Pakistani Shelling. To falsely called him as a militant is an insult to his memory and deeply hurtful to his family and our network,” said a senior resident of Baila.
Read also: Indians in UK protest outside Pakistan High Commission to condemn Pahalgam Terror Attack