A shocking and heartbreaking incident from Pakistan's capital Islamabad has left the country stunned. At Shaheen Chowk, a Pakistan Air Force officer was gunned down in broad daylight while trying to save a woman from being abducted. The deceased officer has been identified as Group Captain Asim Tariq, who was serving with the Pakistan Air Force, known as the PAF. At the time of the incident, he was passing through Ninth Avenue when he noticed a scene that pushed him to act instantly, a decision that ultimately cost him his life.
He stepped in to help and paid with his life
Group Captain Asim Tariq saw a man on a motorcycle trying to forcibly pull a woman onto his bike while she struggled desperately to free herself. Without hesitation, he moved forward and tried to stop the attacker. His intervention gave the woman a crucial window to break free, and she managed to escape across the road to safety. But watching his target slip away enraged the attacker.
Attacker hurled abuses, then opened fire
The accused has been identified as Saad. When Group Captain Asim Tariq intervened, Saad first hurled abuses at him and then opened indiscriminate fire on him. The bullets left the officer critically injured, and he died on the spot. An officer who risked everything for a stranger's safety ended up paying with his own life for that act of courage. Immediately after the shooting, Saad fled the scene.
Accused turns out to be the woman's colleague
In her statement to the police, the victim said that Saad was actually her colleague from the office. He had offered to drop her home from work and had her get on his bike on that pretext. But midway, he changed course and tried to take her to some unfamiliar location instead. When the woman grew suspicious, she began resisting and screaming for help. Group Captain Asim Tariq, who happened to be passing by at that very moment, heard her cries and rushed in without a second thought.
Police investigate as interior minister demands report
Islamabad Police have launched an investigation into the high-profile killing and are gathering evidence from the crime scene. As the case drew attention, Pakistan's federal interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, took strict notice of the incident. He has sought an immediate and detailed report from Islamabad's police chief. He has also directed the police and other security agencies to ensure that the accused, Saad, is arrested at the earliest, without fail.
Serious questions over public safety
The broad-daylight killing of a uniformed air force officer on a busy road in the capital has raised fresh concerns about law and order in Pakistan. The fact that an ordinary criminal was able to shoot a military officer in public and flee with such ease has unsettled ordinary citizens as well. There are growing calls for the accused to be caught quickly and punished severely, so that no one dares to repeat such brazen violence on the streets again.
