Pakistan Foreign Office said Pakistan Consul General in New York is in contact with the family of Pakistani student in New York Nafiah Fatima Ikram, 21, who was attacked with acid in March this year, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.

A spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said that, “Pakistan will extend every possible help to the family of the victim student. The New York Police has constituted 12-memebr team to investigate the acid attack incident. We are waiting for completion of the investigation to know the reason behind the incident.”

The international media reported the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), Law Enforcement Agency of Nassau County of New York, is looking for the suspect who threw acid on a Hofstra University pre-med student in New York in March.

NCPD has also increased the reward for any update of the attacker. In a tweet, “UPDATE-the reward for information regarding the assault with hazardous liquid seriously injuring a female victim, has been INCREASED to $20,000. Call 1-800-244-TIPS or visit http://nassaucounty.crimestoppersweb.com. All tips remain anonymous.”

https://twitter.com/NassauCountyPD/status/1385305811082166275 

Nafiah Fatima Ikram, 21, felt something wasn’t right when she noticed a man standing at the corner of her Arlington Avenue residence in Elmont, New York the evening of March 17.

Surveillance video footage caught the moment Nafiah was walking to her front door after work when an unidentified male suspect ran across her lawn to pour a dark-colored substance on her.

She was rushed to the hospital, suffering burns to her eyes, face, chest and arms. Nafiah called the experience “worst than death” and felt intense pain.

“I felt my chest being ripped out of my soul. That’s how much pain I was in,” she said. Doctors are not sure if she will be able to regain her full vision. Nafiah and her father, Sheikh Ikram, believe it was a pre-planned, targeted attack instead of a hate crime.

“I would like to think that I’m a very nice and friendly outgoing person,” she said. “What could I have possibly done or said for someone to want to hurt me this much.” The student is now considering changing her course of study to help burn victims following her assault.

International Day for Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace

On the occasion of International Day for Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, being observed across the globe today, Pakistan reaffirms its abiding commitment to multilateralism and the central role of the United Nations in promoting a peaceful and prosperous world order.

MOFA Spokesperson said that Pakistan celebrates International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace with the United Nations and reiterated its abiding commitment to multilateralism and international peace and security.

https://twitter.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/1385840382483783681

The United Nations, as the most representative international organization and the quintessential expression of multilateralism, is the main platform to address multifaceted global issues. This International Day should serve to renew our collective resolve to uphold the UN Charter and its purposes and principles.

Nations all over the world look up to the UN to achieve peaceful and just resolution of disputes, and for the maintenance of international peace and security. The people living under foreign occupation, in particular, hold great expectations from the Organisation to enable them to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination.

Preserving the values of multilateralism and international cooperation, which underpin the UN Charter and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, is fundamental to promote a rules-based system. The complex challenges faced by the international community today are a stark reminder of the need for enhancing cooperative multilateralism.

In line with its ardent support for multilateralism, Pakistan participates actively in the work of the United Nations and all its affiliated institutions. We always strive to contribute constructively to the agenda setting, policy formulation and normative development undertaken through multilateral fora. Pakistan will continue to play its part in promoting international and regional peace and security, sustainable development and climate action, and the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.