Mall attack: Australia mulls citizenship for Pakistani guard

Australia's Prime Minister announced on Thursday that he is open to considering granting citizenship to Muhammad Taha, a Pakistani security guard injured in the recent fatal knife attack at a Sydney shopping center.

Taha, who expressed his belief that he deserves recognition and consideration for citizenship following the attack, recounted his ordeal in a bedside interview with The Australian.

He revealed that he was assaulted shortly after his colleague, Faraz Tahir, also a Pakistani security guard, was tragically killed in the incident at the Westfield shopping complex in Bondi Junction.

According to reports, Taha currently holds a graduate visa set to expire in less than a month.

Taha highlighted the case of Damien Guerot, a Frenchman hailed as "bollard man," who was offered permanent residency after a video circulated on social media showing him using a bollard to defend against the attacker, Joel Cauchi.

During a radio interview, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese affirmed that the Australian government would indeed consider Taha's request for citizenship.

He described the loss of Faraz Tahir as a tragic event and commended both Taha and Tahir for their extraordinary courage in confronting the perpetrator, Joel Cauchi. Albanese emphasized that both men bravely put themselves in harm's way to protect fellow Australians, despite not knowing them personally.