Canadian man faces January sentencing for killing four in Pakistan-origin family

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: A Canadian man, who killed four members of a Pakistan-origin family by deliberately running them over with his truck more than two years ago, is scheduled to be sentenced by a court in January, according to media reports.

The incident occurred on June 6, 2021, in Ontario. Five members of the Afzaal family were out for an evening walk when they were struck by a truck, driven by 22-year-old white nationalist Nathaniel Veltman.

The attack claimed the lives of Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, their 15-year-old daughter Yumnah, and Afzaal’s 74-year-old mother Talat.

The family’s nine-year-old child survived with serious injuries.

“Prosecutors and defence lawyers are scheduled to make their submissions on sentencing in the case of Nathaniel Veltman on Jan. 4 and 5,” reported CP24, a Canadian news channel.

“Veltman was found guilty last month of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder for hitting the Afzaal family with his truck while they were out for a walk,” it added.

This incident sent shockwaves through Canada, a country with a huge immigrant population that prides itself on its multicultural character.

According to Reuters, prosecutors argued the attack was an act of terrorism, noting Veltman had written a manifesto entitled “A White Awakening” in which he outlined hatred of Islam and opposition to mass immigration and multiculturalism.

Veltman, who had confessed to his crime, was found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder last month.

“Today’s verdict is a monumental step in the fight against hate and Islamophobia,” Reuters quoted Abdul Fattah Twakkal, a prayer leader at a mosque in the area where the incident happened, after the verdict. “It sets a precedent against white nationalist terrorism.”

Courtesy: arabnews