PAF Group captain killed while trying to protect woman

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Group Captain was shot dead on Sunday after intervening to protect a woman during an alleged abduction attempt in the jurisdiction of Margalla Police Station near Shaheen Chowk, opposite Air University and Bahria University.

Police identified the deceased as Group Captain Asim Tariq.

According to police, Group Captain Tariq was on his way at Ninth Avenue when he noticed a woman getting off a motorcycle while its rider was allegedly pulling her by the hand.

The officer stopped his vehicle and attempted to defuse the situation. The woman then ran to the other side of his vehicle for safety.

Police said the suspect, identified as Saad, began arguing with the officer before opening fire. Group Captain Tariq sustained critical injuries and died at the scene. The suspect fled immediately after the shooting but was later arrested during a police raid.

The body was shifted to the Pakistan Air Force Hospital Unit-II for medico-legal formalities.

Following the incident, additional Station House Officer (SHO) Siddique, Duty Officer Naveed and other officials of Margalla Police reached the crime scene, collected evidence and launched an investigation.

Police have taken the woman, identified as Nimra, into custody for questioning, while the gunman and his accomplices managed to flee the scene in a vehicle.

Police said that police teams were conducting raids to arrest the suspect. They added that Group Captain Tariq is survived by his widow, a daughter and a son.

Later, police has arrested the suspected gunman, identified as Saad.

Sources said the arrested suspect has been shifted to an undisclosed location, where he is being interrogated.

They said that he suspect is a 20-year-old resident of Band Khanna Road in the jurisdiction of Khanna Police Station and has completed his matriculation, sources said. He had also worked as a salesman at an electronics shop.

Sources that the suspect allegedly attempted to force a young woman to accompany him, but she refused, leading to a physical altercation between the two.

Group Captain Asim Tariq, who was passing through the area, reportedly stopped after noticing the scuffle. Sources said he intervened and tried to prevent the suspect from forcing the woman against her will. The suspect allegedly became enraged by the intervention and opened fire at him while the officer was seated in his vehicle.

Later, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ali Nasir Rizvi told a press conference that police had arrested the prime suspect, Saad Abbasi, within nine hours of the incident.

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