January 02, 2021
The Pakistan cricket team on Saturday spent an afternoon with the families of the Christchurch mosque attack victims, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The players, in the video shared by the PCB, can be seen chatting and exchanging gifts with the victims of the attack at the Hagley Oval cricket ground.
"I know that we did not go through the situation that you people did, but we do understand the pain that you feel," batting coach Younis Khan told the families.
"We share in your sorrow," the batting coach added.
The Pakistan team is in New Zealand where they are playing a Test series which the Kiwis are leading 1-0.
The Christchurch mosque attack
In March 2019, more than 50 people lost their lives when 28-year-old right-wing extremist Brenton Tarrant attacked two mosques in Christchurch— the Al Noor Mosque and another in the suburb of Linwood.
Tarrant, in August 2020, was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. This was the first time such a sentence had been handed down in the country.
Read more: Christchurch mosque shooter sentenced to life without parole
Tarrant admitted to 51 charges of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, and one charge of committing a terrorist act during the shooting rampage which he live-streamed on Facebook.
High Court Judge Cameron Mander said in Christchurch that a finite term would not be sufficient.
“Your crimes, however, are so wicked that even if you are detained until you die it will not exhaust the requirements of punishment and denunciation,” said Mander in handing down the sentence.
“As far as I can discern, you are empty of any empathy for your victims,” he said.