A man was shot dead on Rawalpindi’s Mall Road on Tuesday after allegedly opening fire on security personnel, with police saying an official was injured in the incident. The Rawalpindi Mall Road shooting is now under investigation.
Rawalpindi police identified the alleged attacker as Muhammad Hussain and said he was killed in retaliatory fire. Police claimed that the man was affiliated with a political party, while further details about his background are being investigated.
According to police, evidence and alleged links were found through the suspect’s mobile phone and other belongings. Authorities said investigations were continuing to determine the circumstances and possible motives behind the incident.
PTV News, citing security sources, reported that Hussain was a resident of Khyber district and described him as an active Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf member. The report also claimed that a PTI flag, weapons and bullets were recovered from him.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar condemned the incident and criticised what he described as PTI’s “politics of violence”. He said there was no justification for opening fire on security personnel and confirmed that the incident occurred on Mall Road.
Tarar also linked the incident to PTI’s announced September 27 long march towards Islamabad. He alleged that party protests had previously involved violence and accused PTI members of arriving at demonstrations with weapons. These allegations were made by the minister following the Rawalpindi Mall Road shooting.
Police said law enforcement agencies remain prepared to counter terrorism and incitement to unrest. Further investigation is underway, while authorities are examining the recovered items and other evidence to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
