Muslim cleric killed in cross-border shelling wrongly labelled as 'Terrorist' by news channels
New Delhi: Several national television channels have come under sharp criticism for wrongly identifying a Muslim cleric, killed in cross-border shelling by Pakistan, as a “terrorist”. The inaccurate reports have triggered widespread outrage on social media and among fact-checkers.
The victim, Qari Muhammad Iqbal, was an Islamic scholar and seminary teacher from Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir. He lost his life on Tuesday during Pakistani shelling across the Line of Control (LoC). Qari Iqbal had been associated with Jamia Zia-ul-Uloom in Poonch, where he had been teaching for over ten years.
Despite this, prominent Hindi news channels such as ABP News and Zee News aired reports claiming that a “terrorist” was killed in an Indian air strike, using Qari Iqbal’s image and name—without verification. The reports were later challenged by several independent media platforms and fact-checkers.
Kashmiri news outlet The Kashmiriyat clarified that Qari Iqbal was among the civilian casualties in the shelling and not involved in any terrorist activities. Their report included his name in the official list of civilians who died in the unprovoked attack from across the border.
Criticising the misleading coverage, Mohammad Zubair of Alt News wrote on social media platform X, “This is a shameful thing by Indian news channels. Mohammad Iqbal, a Qari from Poonch, India, has died in Pakistani shelling. He is being portrayed as a 'terrorist' (in the media).”
The incident has sparked fresh concerns about the lack of verification and sensitivity in television news reporting, particularly in conflict-related coverage. It has also raised questions about the impact such misreporting can have on the families of victims and the wider community.
This is shameful by Indian News Channels. Qari Mohammad Iqbal from poonch, India was killed yesterday in shelling from Pakistan is being portrayed as a 'terrorist' in multiple national Indian news channels. pic.twitter.com/8yXkUaJswd
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) May 8, 2025
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T20 WC star Samson named ICC Men's Player of the Month for March
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Dubai (PTI): India opener Sanju Samson was on Tuesday named ICC Men's Player of the Month for March, capping a stellar run that saw him play a defining role in the team's triumphant T20 World Cup campaign.
Samson did not get to play in the early part of the tournament but was the standout performer in the big games towards the end and helped India retain the title.
His latest honour also extends a unique streak, with players from different countries winning the award over the past five months including South Africa's Simon Harmer, Australia's Mitchell Starc, New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell and Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan.
"Winning the ICC Player of the Month award is an incredible feeling, especially as it comes during what has been the most unforgettable phase of my cricketing journey. Playing a part in India's triumph at the Men's T20 World Cup was truly a dream realised, and it took some time for the magnitude of that moment to fully sink in," Samson said.
"This is an exciting era for Indian cricket, with immense talent across the board. I feel grateful for the opportunities I've received, and for the trust and support from my team-mates and coaching staff that have allowed me to perform at my best."
Not a regular part of the playing XI in the initial stages of the tournament, Samson was eventually called up for India's must-win Super 8 fixtures. After starting off with 24 against Zimbabwe, he picked form and didn't look back.
The opener missed out on a century against the West Indies by just three runs, but his attacking 97 not out set up India's spot in the semifinal.
A blistering 89 against England at the Wankhede helped India to 253 for 7, and the target proved elusive for the English who missed out by seven runs on March 5.
An equally amazing 89 was churned out during India's successful title defence in Ahmedabad, securing a 96-run win.
In the three crucial T20Is he was a part of in March, Samson notched up 275 runs at an astonishing average of 137.50 and a stunning strike rate of 199.27.
This is the first time that Samson has secured an ICC Men's Player of the Month honour.
New Zealand captain Melie Kerr won the women's honour for the third time, after an outstanding series against Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Taking over the white-ball teams from Sophie Devine, Kerr's captaincy seemed to have brought out the best in her with both the ball and the bat. In the Zimbabwe ODI series, she managed to snap 16 wickets in just three matches, including her career-best figures of 7/34.
Additionally, she also contributed with the bat, being the third highest run-scorer in the ODIs, scoring 140 runs across three games with an average of 46.67 in the counting month.
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