A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) officer was shot dead on Sunday after he intervened to prevent a man from abducting a woman in Islamabad, according to police.
Police said Group Captain Asim Tariq was driving along Ninth Avenue when he saw a woman getting off a motorcycle as the driver pulled her by her hand. He stopped his car near the motorcycle and started arguing with the man, who then opened him on him. The PAF officer, per police, succumbed to his injuries while the suspect fled the scene. He is survived by his widow and two children.
In a statement, police told media the suspect had been identified as Saad Abbasi, with the woman identifying him as a colleague who had offered to drive her to work. She has alleged the suspect changed the route and attempted to take her elsewhere, triggering the struggle witnessed by the PAF officer. She said the Group Captain’s timely intervention had ensured her safety.
Expressing condolences to the family of officer, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi sought a report from the Islamabad inspector general of police and directed the speedy arrest of the suspect.
In a press conference, Islamabad Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi said the arrest belonged to Abbottabad and was arrested within nine hours of the fatal shooting. He confirmed the suspect and the woman worked together, lived in the same area, and often traveled to work together.
Rizvi said the man had tried to forcibly take the woman with him that day and their argument stemmed from her refusing his advances. He said the Group Captain had attempted to mediate between them but was fatally shot at 11:21 a.m. He said the police had constituted 11 investigation teams following the incident and arrested the suspect within nine hours.