Former Kashmir Prime Minister Farooq Abdullah says whether India likes it or not, they will have to talk to Pakistan. PHOTO COURTESY: INDIA TODAY
A suspected gunman was arrested after an apparent assassination attempt on senior Kashmiri politician Farooq Abdullah during a wedding ceremony in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), according to Indian media reports on Thursday.
Abdullah, former chief minister of Indian-occupied Kashmir, was attending the event in the Greater Kailash area when the attacker allegedly approached him with a gun.
Security personnel guarding the veteran leader quickly intervened and overpowered the suspect before he could cause any harm.
According to The Hindu, initial reports suggested that the attacker brandished a firearm and tried to advance towards Abdullah, who is the president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) and father of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
“Witnesses said he opened fire. However, police have not confirmed this,” the newspaper reported.
Police confirmed that an attempt had been made on Abdullah’s life during the incident.
“The police, in a statement carried by The Hindu, said that there was ‘an attempt on the life of Dr Farooq Abdullah while he was attending a marriage ceremony at Royal Park, Greater Kailash’. “Security personnel of J&K Police and NSG (National Security Guard), who were deployed with the protectee, immediately swung into action and foiled the attempt,” the statement added.
Occupied Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and Prime Minister’s Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani were also present in the meeting when the incident occurred.
In a social media post late Wednesday, Omar Abdullah said the incident was a close call for his father.
“My father had a very close shave. Details are sketchy at the moment, but what is known is that a man with a loaded gun was able to approach at point-blank range and shoot.”
“It was only the escort team that deflected the shot and ensured that the assassination attempt failed,” he added.
Omar questioned how “someone could get so close to a former CM protected by Z+ NSG”.
He also shared a video showing Abdullah walking inside a hallway when a man approached from behind, apparently pulling a gun from his pocket and pointing it at the politician before guards tackled him.
Police identified the suspect as Kamal Singh Jamwal, a resident of Purani Mandi in Jammu.
“The firearm, used in the crime, has also been recovered from the possession of the accused,” the police statement said.
According to 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 the last 20 years. It was my personal agenda. The gun is mine, it was handed over to me,” Jamwal was quoted as saying by officials, adding that he considered himself “lucky to survive”.
Police said further investigation into the incident was underway.
Reacting to the development, former Prime Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed concern over the security lapse.
“Shocked to hear about the serious attack on Dr Farooq Abdullah Sahab. Relieved to know that he is safe and well. “I hope the police get to the bottom of this disturbing security breach,” she said on X.
