Air Chief says sacrifice ’embodies the finest traditions of the Pakistan Air Force and the Pakistan Armed Forces’
PAF Group Captain Asim Tariq. Photo APP
Funeral prayers for Pakistan Air Force Group Captain Asim Tariq, shot down after intervening to protect a woman in Islamabad, were offered on Tuesday as he was buried with full military honors, according to military media.
Tariq was shot dead on Sunday while trying to save a woman near Shaheen Chowk on Ninth Avenue in the jurisdiction of Margalla police station. According to initial reports, Tariq was passing by when he noticed a woman who had gotten off a motorcycle while the biker was pulling her by the hand. He turned around 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 police officer before opening fire on him. Tariq later succumbed to his injuries, while the suspect fled the scene.
A statement issued today by Inter Services Public Relations said, “Funeral prayers of Group Captain Asim Tariq Shaheed, who embraced martyrdom while courageously intervening to save a distressed woman in Islamabad, were offered today. The martyred officer was laid to rest with full military honors in recognition of his exceptional courage, selfless dedication and unwavering sense of duty.”
He added that Chief of Air Staff Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu attended the funeral prayers alongside senior officers, airmen and a large gathering of the civilian community to pay their last respects to the “valiant officer and honor his supreme sacrifice”.
Paying tribute to Tariq, the Air Chief said his sacrifice “embodies the finest traditions of the Pakistan Air Force and the Pakistan Armed Forces”.
He said that by sacrificing his life while protecting an innocent citizen, Tariq had demonstrated that the men and women of the Pakistan Air Force remained “firm in their commitment not only to safeguarding the nation’s borders, but also to protecting the lives, dignity and honor of their countrymen.”
Funeral prayers for Group Captain Asim Tariq Shaheed, who embraced martyrdom by rescuing a distressed woman 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 Television (@PakTVGlobal) July 7, 2026
Incident and cases
The first information report (FIR) in the case was registered under charges of murder and under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The FIR, filed following the complaint of Wing Commander Imran Khurram Nawaz, said Tariq stopped the suspect from misbehaving with a girl, upon whom the suspect opened fire on him. Tariq died instantly.
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 happened at 11:21 a.m. and the suspect was arrested within nine hours. He said the suspect and the woman worked at the same store and had visited together before.
On the day of the incident, the suspect allegedly wanted to take the woman to a park or elsewhere, but she refused. The officer intervened after witnessing the altercation, after which the suspect returned to 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 purchasing a Skyways bus ticket and cutting off his mobile phone data. A day ago, he was sent to prison for a 14-day remand for an identification operation.
