Air chief says sacrifice ‘epitomises the finest traditions of the Pakistan Air Force and the Armed Forces of Pakistan’
PAF Group Captain Asim Tariq. Photo APP
The funeral prayers of Pakistan Air Force’s Group Captain Asim Tariq, who was shot dead after intervening to protect a woman in Islamabad, were offered on Tuesday as he was buried with full military honours, according to the military’s media wing.
Tariq was shot dead on Sunday while trying to rescue a woman near Shaheen Chowk on Ninth Avenue in the jurisdiction of Margalla Police Station. According to initial reports, Tariq was passing through when he noticed a woman who had dismounted a motorcycle while the rider was allegedly pulling her by the hand. He turned back and stopped near the motorcycle, prompting the woman to run to the other side of his vehicle. During the confrontation, the alleged suspect exchanged harsh words with the officer before opening fire on him. Tariq later succumbed to his injuries, while the suspect fled the scene.
A statement issued by the Inter Services Public Relations today said: “Funeral prayers of Group Captain Asim Tariq Shaheed, who embraced martyrdom while courageously intervening to rescue a woman in distress in Islamabad, were offered today. The martyred officer was laid to rest with full military honours in recognition of his exceptional courage, selfless devotion and unwavering sense of duty.”
It added that Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu attended the funeral prayers along with senior officers, airmen and a large gathering of the civil community to pay final respects to the “valiant officer and honour his supreme sacrifice”.
Paying tribute to Tariq, the air chief said his sacrifice “epitomises the finest traditions of the Pakistan Air Force and the Armed Forces of Pakistan”.
He said that by laying down his life while protecting an innocent citizen, Tariq had demonstrated that the men and women of the Pakistan Air Force remained “steadfast in their commitment not only to safeguarding the nation’s frontiers, but also to protecting the lives, dignity and honour of their fellow countrymen”.
Funeral prayers for Group Captain Asim Tariq Shaheed, who embraced martyrdom while rescuing a woman in distress in Islamabad, were offered with full military honours. Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu paid tribute to the martyred officer, describing his sacrifice as a symbol of courage,… pic.twitter.com/tK2FeUNZTT
— Pakistan TV (@PakTVGlobal) July 7, 2026
Incident and case
The first information report (FIR) of the case was registered on charges of murder and under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The FIR, lodged on the complaint of Wing Commander Imran Khurram Nawaz, stated that Tariq stopped the suspect from misbehaving with a girl, upon which the suspect opened fire on him. Tariq died on the spot.
Islamabad Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi had said the suspect opened fire on Tariq after the officer intervened when the suspect allegedly tried to forcibly take a woman with him.
The police chief had said the shooting occurred at 11:21am and the suspect was arrested within nine hours. He said the suspect and the woman worked at the same store and had previously visited together.
On the day of the incident, the suspect allegedly wanted to take the woman to a park or another location, but she refused. The officer intervened after witnessing the altercation, whereupon the suspect turned back on his motorcycle and shot him.
The police chief said 11 police teams investigated the case, reviewed footage from 275 Safe City cameras and used artificial intelligence tools to trace the suspect.
He was arrested in Islamabad after allegedly purchasing a Skyways bus ticket and switching off his mobile phone data. A day ago, he was sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand for an identification parade.
