Suspect in Group Captain Asim Tariq’s Killing Arrested Within Nine Hours in Intelligence-Led Operation
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Police have disclosed details of an intelligence-led operation that resulted in the arrest of the suspect accused of killing Pakistan Air Force senior officer Group Captain Asim Tariq within nine hours of the shooting.
According to ARY News, the suspect, identified as Saad Abbasi, fled the scene on a motorcycle after allegedly opening fire on Group Captain Asim Tariq at Shaheen Chowk on Ninth Avenue in Islamabad.
Following the incident, Inspector General of Islamabad Police ordered an immediate investigation, while SP City Ayaz Hussain took charge of the crime scene. Using Safe City surveillance cameras and digital tracking, investigators traced the suspect’s movements to Ghouri Town, where he allegedly parked his motorcycle outside a friend’s house and covered it to avoid detection.
Police said the suspect then booked an online motorcycle ride to conceal his identity and traveled to a nearby market. There, he reportedly left his bag at another friend’s pharmacy before purchasing a new blue T-shirt to replace the green shirt he was wearing during the attack.
After changing his appearance, the suspect allegedly traveled by ride-hailing motorcycle to the Faizabad Interchange. Investigators tracked down the rider through digital records, who told police that he had dropped the suspect near the Skyways bus terminal.
A police raid at the terminal revealed that Saad Abbasi had already purchased a bus ticket to Lahore in an apparent attempt to flee the capital. Islamabad Police immediately alerted Lahore Police and dispatched multiple teams to intercept him.
Meanwhile, the investigation team divided into three units—one monitoring the hidden motorcycle, another stationed at the pharmacy, and a third deployed around Faizabad.
According to the report, the case took a dramatic turn at around 6:30 p.m. when the suspect allegedly called the friend who was keeping his motorcycle, saying he was returning to collect it. Five minutes later, he also contacted the pharmacy owner, indicating that he would retrieve the bag he had left there.
Police said the bag contained the pistol allegedly used in the shooting as well as blood-stained clothing. Instead of entering the pharmacy himself, the suspect reportedly sent a child to collect the bag. Officers in plain clothes, who had been keeping the pharmacy under surveillance, followed the child and arrested Saad Abbasi as he attempted to take possession of the bag.
Authorities said the swift intelligence-based operation, supported by Safe City surveillance technology and coordinated field teams, enabled police to apprehend the suspect within hours of the fatal shooting. The investigation into the motive behind the killing remains ongoing.
