Former Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said that like it or not, India will have to talk to Pakistan. PHOTO COURTESY: INDIA TODAY
A suspected gunman has been arrested after an apparent assassination attempt on a senior Kashmiri politician, Farooq Abdullah, during a wedding ceremony in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Indian media reported on Thursday.
Abdullah, former chief minister of Indian-occupied Kashmir, was attending the event in the Greater Kailash region when the attacker allegedly approached him with a pistol.
Security personnel guarding the veteran leader quickly intervened and subdued the suspect before he could cause him harm.
According to The Hindu, initial reports suggested that the attacker was brandishing a gun and trying to move towards Abdullah, president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) and father of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
“Eyewitnesses said he opened fire. However, police did not confirm this,” the newspaper reported.
Police confirmed that an assassination attempt was made against Abdullah during the event.
“The police, in a statement published by The Hindu, said that there was ‘an assassination attempt on Dr Farooq Abdullah while he was attending a wedding ceremony at Royal Park in Greater Kailash.’ “Security personnel of J&K Police and NSG (National Security Guard), who were deployed along with the protégé, immediately swung into action and foiled the attempt,” the statement added.
Occupied Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and Chief Minister’s Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani were also present in the meeting when the incident took place.
In a social media post Wednesday evening, Omar Abdullah said the incident was a big blow to his father.
“My father had a very close shave. The details are fuzzy at the moment, but what we do know is that a man with a loaded gun was able to approach at point-blank range and fire a shot.”
“Only the close protection team deflected the shot and ensured that the assassination attempt failed,” he added.
Omar wondered how “someone could get so close to a former CM protected by Z+ NSG.”
He also shared a video showing Abdullah walking down a hall when a man approached from behind, apparently taking a gun out of his pocket and pointing it at the politician before guards attacked him.
Police identified the suspect as Kamal Singh Jamwal, a resident of Purani Mandi in Jammu.
“The firearm, used in the crime, was also recovered from the possession of the accused,” the police statement said.
According to the Hindustan Times, citing officials, the attacker was a 63-year-old man who told investigators he had been planning to kill Abdullah for nearly two decades.
“I wanted to kill Farooq Abdullah for 20 years. It was my personal agenda. The gun is mine, it was given to me,” Jamwal quoted officials as saying, adding that he considered himself “lucky to survive.”
Police said further investigation into the incident was underway.
Reacting to the development, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed concern over the security lapses.
“Shocked to learn of the serious attack on Dr. Farooq Abdullah Sahab. Relieved to know that he is safe and doing well. “I hope the police shed light on this very worrying security breach,” she said on X.
