A sentencing hearing in Canada began Thursday of the man convicted of murdering four members of a Pakistani Muslim family with his truck over two years ago. Nathanial Veltman, a 23-year-old self-proclaimed white supremacist, was found guilty of murder in November. He has denied the claims. On June 6, 2021, Veltman ran over the family with his pickup truck in the Ontario city of London, killing both parents, the grandmother, and their 15-year-old daughter. The sole survivor, a nine-year-old boy, was severely injured. "This was not only a crime against the Muslim community, but an affront to the safety of all Canadians," said Tabinda Bukhari on Thursday morning. Her daughter, 44-year-old Madiha Salman, was among those killed.

As many as 70 people close to the victims will give impact statements during the two-day hearing. "The sorrow and the sadness, the fear, the anger, the pain, they come again and again," said Amira Elgahawby, who was appointed last year as Canada's special representative on combating Islamophobia. In Canada, a guilty verdict for premeditated murder carries a minimum sentence of life imprisonment, with the possibility of parole after 25 years. According to local media, Judge Renee Pomerance of the Superior Court of Justice in Ontario will determine this month whether or not Veltman's actions constitute an act of terrorism, before announcing his sentence.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)