Rawalpindi, August 11, 2026: A man was shot dead by law enforcement officials on Mall Road in Rawalpindi on Tuesday after he allegedly opened fire on security forces, injuring an official, according to police.
Rawalpindi police identified the man as Muhammad Hussain and said he was affiliated with a “particular political party”.
“The attacker, Muhammad Hussain, was immediately killed in retaliatory fire,” police said in a statement.
The police added that evidence and “links have emerged from his mobile phone and other belongings”, while further investigation into the incident was under way.
“Law enforcement agencies remain fully prepared and committed to eliminating all forms of terrorism and incitement to unrest,” the statement said.
PTV News, quoting security sources, reported that the alleged attacker was a resident of Khyber district and an “active PTI member”. The report said a PTI flag, bullets and weapons were also allegedly recovered from him.
Visuals of a red-and-green cloth, a firearm and bullets allegedly recovered from the man were also broadcast by PTV News.
Following the incident, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar criticised what he described as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) “politics of violence”.
Speaking in a video statement aired by news channels, Tarar said there was “no reason for opening fire on security personnel” and confirmed that the incident had taken place on Rawalpindi’s Mall Road.
The minister also criticised PTI members for allegedly arriving at protests equipped with weapons and referred to the party’s announced long march towards Islamabad on September 27.
Tarar alleged that PTI protests had previously involved violence against security personnel and claimed that the party did not believe in peaceful protest.
He said the recovery of a PTI flag and “other documents” from the alleged attacker raised questions about the incident and claimed that the objective of the party was to create unrest and undermine law and order.
Tarar further linked the planned September 27 long march to what he described as Pakistan’s recent diplomatic achievements, including the signing of a joint defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
He alleged that PTI protests were intended to cause disorder, damage property and undermine stability.
PTI, however, distanced itself from the incident and rejected any attempt to associate the party with the alleged attack.
Reacting to Tarar’s remarks, PTI Islamabad Regional President Amir Mughal said the party believed in peaceful and unarmed political struggle and had nothing to do with terrorism or violence.
Mughal called for the facts surrounding the incident to be made public and urged the authorities not to use the incident to malign the PTI.
He also rejected the portrayal of the PTI as a terrorist or anti-state organisation, saying the party had received significant public support in the February 8, 2024 general elections.
The incident remains under investigation, with police saying further details would emerge as investigators examine the evidence and alleged links associated with the suspect.
