PAF Officer Group Captain Asim Tariq Martyred While Saving Woman from Abduction Attempt in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD - A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) officer, Group Captain Asim Tariq, embraced martyrdom on Sunday after being shot while intervening to rescue a woman from an alleged abduction attempt near Shaheen Chowk on Islamabad's Ninth Avenue .

According to police officials, Group Captain Tariq was driving through the area when he noticed a man attempting to force a woman onto a motorcycle. Seeing the woman resisting and pleading for help, the officer turned his vehicle around and stepped forward to intervene. The woman immediately moved towards the PAF officer for protection .

The suspect, identified as Saad, allegedly began arguing with Group Captain Tariq before pulling out a pistol and opening fire. The officer sustained fatal bullet wounds and embraced martyrdom on the spot, while the suspect and his accomplices fled the scene .

The woman told investigators that the suspect was her office colleague who had offered to drop her at work but instead changed the route and attempted to take her elsewhere against her will. She confirmed that Group Captain Tariq intervened at the right moment and helped save her before he was shot .

Police have launched a manhunt for the fleeing suspect, and law enforcement agencies are conducting operations to arrest him . The suspect was later identified as Saad Abbasi, 20, a salesman at a shop, who was reportedly arrested by police later that evening .

Group Captain Asim Tariq is survived by his widow, a daughter, and a son . His sacrifice has drawn widespread tributes across the country, with many describing him as a courageous officer who laid down his life while protecting an innocent woman .

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep grief over the incident, stating: "Sacrificing one's life to protect an innocent woman is a shining example of the highest human values and dedicated service to the nation" . Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Group Captain Tariq set "an exceptional example of courage, bravery, and devotion to duty" .

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also expressed condolences to the family of the martyred officer, sought a report from the Islamabad Inspector General of Police, and directed authorities to arrest the suspect at the earliest .

The PAF motto, "Second to None" - inspired by the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah - was reflected in Group Captain Tariq's final act of courage, embodying the unwavering bravery and selflessness that define Pakistan's guardians of the sky .