Shehbaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari have paid tribute to Group Captain Asim Tariq, who lost his life after intervening to help a woman during an alleged abduction attempt in Islamabad.
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According to official statements, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the Pakistan Air Force officer for sacrificing his life to protect the life and dignity of a woman, describing his actions as an extraordinary example of courage, selflessness and devotion to duty. The prime minister said the nation would always honour such sacrifices and directed the relevant authorities to conduct a transparent investigation and ensure those responsible are brought to justice under the law.
وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف کا گروپ کیپٹن عاصم طارق کی شہادت پر گہرے دکھ اور افسوس کا اظہار۔۔۔شہید کے اہلِ خانہ سے دلی ہمدردی اوراظہارِ تعزیت ۔۔۔گروپ کیپٹن عاصم طارق نے ایک خاتون کی جان و عزت کے تحفظ کے لیے اپنی جان کا نذرانہ پیش کرکے بے مثال جرأت اور فرض شناسی کی مثال قائم کی۔۔۔قوم… pic.twitter.com/6z27PKxkVO
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) July 6, 2026
President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed his condolences to the officer’s family, saying that giving one’s life to protect an innocent woman reflected the highest human values and dedication to the nation. He termed the incident on a major road in Islamabad a matter of serious concern and stressed the need for effective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
صدرِ مملکت آصف علی زرداری کا گروپ کیپٹن عاصم طارق کی شہادت پر گہرے رنج و غم کا اظہار
ایک بے گناہ خاتون کے تحفظ کے لیے جان کا نذرانہ پیش کرنا اعلیٰ انسانی اقدار اور قومی خدمت کی روشن مثال ہے: صدر زرداری
صدرِ مملکت کا شہید گروپ کیپٹن عاصم طارق کے اہلِ خانہ سے اظہارِ تعزیت، صبرِ…
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) July 6, 2026
The incident occurred near Air University, opposite Bahria University, within the jurisdiction of the Margalla Police Station. According to police, Group Captain Asim Tariq was travelling to Rawalpindi on an official assignment when he noticed a man allegedly trying to force a woman onto a motorcycle.
The officer reportedly made a U-turn and stopped to intervene. The woman then approached his vehicle seeking safety. Police said an argument broke out between the suspect and the officer before the suspect allegedly opened fire, fatally injuring the PAF officer.
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Islamabad Inspector General of Police Ali Nasir Rizvi said the suspect was arrested within nine hours of the incident. According to police, the woman and the suspect were colleagues at a cash-and-carry outlet, and preliminary investigations suggest the woman resisted the suspect’s attempt to take her to another location, leading to the confrontation.