Islamabad, July 6, 2026: An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Monday sent Saad Abbasi, the suspect in the murder case of Pakistan Air Force Group Captain Asim Tariq, to jail on a 14-day judicial remand for an identification parade.
The case was heard by Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Abual Hasanat Mohammad Zulqarnain in connection with the FIR registered by Islamabad Police.
Group Captain Asim Tariq was shot dead on 9th Avenue after intervening to protect a woman from an alleged abduction attempt, police said. According to investigators, the PAF officer was travelling on the avenue when he noticed a woman getting off a motorcycle while the rider was pulling her by the hand.
Police said Group Captain Tariq, acting as a responsible citizen, stopped his vehicle after seeing the incident. The woman reportedly ran to the other side of his car, after which the suspect, identified as Saad, began arguing with the officer and allegedly opened fire. The PAF officer later succumbed to his injuries, while the suspect fled the scene.
During Monday’s hearing, the investigating officer requested the court to send the suspect for an identification parade. Prosecutor Raja Naveed informed the court that there were also two eyewitnesses in the case.
During the proceedings, Judge Zulqarnain asked the suspect why he had committed the act. Abbasi replied that he was with a girl and claimed that a man had come and was “disturbing” them. The judge, however, questioned the suspect’s version of events before ordering judicial remand.
The court remanded Abbasi in judicial custody for 14 days and directed authorities to produce him again on July 20 after completion of the identification parade.
A day earlier, Islamabad Inspector General of Police Ali Nasir Rizvi had said the suspect was arrested following a coordinated operation involving digital surveillance and physical intelligence gathering.
According to the police chief, the suspect had picked up the woman from her residence on two previous occasions. On the day of the incident, an argument reportedly broke out near Shaheen Chowk when the suspect allegedly tried to pressure her into accompanying him to a park or another location instead of going to her workplace, which she refused.
The IGP said the woman had known the suspect for only a few days and did not even know his residential address. To investigate the high-profile case, police formed 11 specialised teams to track down the assailant.
Officials said the investigation made a breakthrough after law enforcement agencies reviewed footage from 275 Safe City and private CCTV cameras, along with recordings from 137 digital video recorders (DVRs).
