Police arrest suspect within hours after PAF officer shot dead 'trying to protect woman'

• IG Rizvi says Islamabad Police trace and arrest accused in nine-hour operation using digital surveillance and field intelligence

• Says 11 specialised teams analysed footage from 275 Safe City and hundreds of private cameras

• Group Captain Asim Tariq was shot after intervening to rescue woman from alleged abduction attempt

• Police say suspect changed clothes, switched off phone and attempted to flee after the shooting

• Investigators claim accused had allegedly targeted another woman in a similar incident in the past

 ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Police on Sunday arrested the suspect accused of fatally shooting a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) officer who was trying to protect a woman during an altercation in the federal capital, with the city's police chief saying the accused was tracked down within nine hours through an extensive operation combining digital surveillance and conventional investigative methods.

The shooting took place near Shaheen Chowk on Islamabad's busy 9th Avenue, close to several government offices and the PAF Headquarters, according to Islamabad Police spokesman Muhammad Taqi Jawad.

The slain officer, Group Captain Asim Tariq, had just left his office when he noticed a man arguing with a woman and stepped in to intervene. The suspect, identified as Saad Abbasi, allegedly opened fire on the officer before fleeing the scene. Group Captain Tariq later succumbed to his injuries.

Addressing the media, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ali Nasir Rizvi said the suspect was attempting to forcibly take the woman with him, but she repeatedly resisted, prompting the PAF officer to intervene in an effort to protect her.

آئی جی اسلام آباد سید علی ناصر رضوی کی پولیس افسران کے ہمراہ اہم پریس کانفرنس۔#WeRIslamabadPolice #OPS #AliNasir #Islamabad pic.twitter.com/x2XABfKvSV

— Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) July 5, 2026

"Eleven teams were constituted and those teams were for different things. There was a digital surveillance team, there was a cellular technology team, there was a private camera team, there was a Safe City camera team, there were teams that had to read our manuals. In addition to that, there were also teams that went to different districts or places and picked up as many different people as they could," he said.

"At the same time, it was necessary to blend it with technical data, which is our traditional approach to policing, in such a way that this case can be traced out... we have seen [footage of] 275 Safe City cameras in Islamabad and Rawalpindi and hundreds of private cameras. After this incident, this case was traced in nine hours," he added.

According to the IG, the suspect worked with the woman at a departmental store in Islamabad and had offered to give her a ride to work. However, when he allegedly tried to take her elsewhere, she resisted, leading to an altercation that drew the attention of the PAF officer.

Police said that after fleeing the scene, the suspect changed his shirt, switched off his mobile phone and attempted to escape from the city.

"We finally traced the suspect and came to know that the suspect had earlier done the same with another woman," the IG said. "Instead of coming to the police station, their families had settled the matter."

According to a PAF spokesperson, Group Captain Asim Tariq is survived by his wife and two children.

Paying tribute to the slain officer, IG Rizvi described him as a "true patriot" who displayed exemplary courage by coming to the aid of a woman in distress.

Officer shot while intervening

Earlier in the day, police had said that a PAF officer was shot dead while "trying to protect a woman" during an altercation with a man near the PAF Headquarters, and that efforts were underway to apprehend the suspect, who had fled after the attack.

إِنَّا ِلِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

On 5 July 2026, a motorcycle rider attempted to abduct a lady who happened to be his work colleague

Group Captain Asim who was travelling along the same route saw the incident and rushed to help the lady.

The motorcycle rider… pic.twitter.com/Z1j280GRzn

— Pakistan Armed Forces News 🇵🇰 (@PakistanFauj) July 5, 2026

Police spokesman Muhammad Taqi Jawad said Group Captain Asim Tariq was leaving his office near Shaheen Chowk when he noticed a man arguing with a woman and attempted to intervene.

"As he attempted to intervene, the suspect pulled out a firearm and shot the officer at the scene before fleeing," Jawad said, adding that the officer later succumbed to his injuries.

The incident triggered an immediate police response, and the woman was taken into protective custody for questioning.

According to the initial investigation, the suspect, identified as Saad, had entered Islamabad from Rawalpindi on a motorcycle along with the woman.

Police had launched a manhunt for the suspect, who was later arrested.