Air Chief Says Sacrifice ‘Embodies the Finest Traditions of the Pakistan Air Force and the Armed Forces of Pakistan’
PAF Group Captain Asim Tariq. Photo APP
The funeral prayers for Pakistan Air Force Group Captain Asim Tariq, who was shot dead after intervening to protect a woman in Islamabad, were said 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 Margalla police station’s jurisdiction. According to initial reports, Tariq was passing through when he noticed a woman who had alighted from a motorcycle while the driver allegedly pulled her by the hand. He returned 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 Inter Services Public Relations today said: “Funeral prayers of Group Captain Asim Tariq Shaheed, who embraced martyrdom while bravely intervening to save a woman in distress in Islamabad, were offered today. The martyred officer was laid to rest with full military honors in recognition of his extraordinary devotion and independence.”
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 civil society to pay their last respects to “the gallant officer and honor his supreme sacrifice”.
Paying tribute to Tariq, the air chief said his sacrifice “signifies the finest traditions of the Pakistan Air Force and the Pakistan Armed Forces”.
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 protect the nation’s borders but also to protect the lives, dignity and honor of their 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 and described 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, whereupon the suspect opened fire on him. Tariq died at the scene.
Islamabad’s 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 took place at 11:21 a.m. and that the suspect was arrested within nine hours. He said the suspect and the woman worked at the same store and had previously visited them together.
On the day of the incident, the suspect allegedly wanted to take the woman to a park or other location, but she refused. The officer intervened after witnessing the altercation, after which the suspect returned 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 track down the suspect.
He was arrested in Islamabad after allegedly buying a Skyways bus ticket and switching off his mobile phone data. A day ago, he was sent to prison with a 14-day remand for an identification parade.
