LAHORE: Asim Jamil, the son of renowned religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jamil, died of a bullet injury under mysterious circumstances in his hometown Tulamba on Sunday.

Mr Asim, 32, who suffered the bullet injury to his chest, was rushed to the Rural Health Centre (RHC) Tula­m­ba in Khanewal district, where he died during treatment.

Officials at the RHC informed the police, who took the body into their custody and initiated an investigation. Forensic experts reached the scene of the occurrence to collect evidence.

Mian Channu DSP Saleem informed the media that Mr Asim had shot himself in the chest.

He said the family did not inform the police about the incident and took Mr Asim to the hospital.

Punjab IGP Dr Usman Anwar took notice of the incident and sought a report from the regional police officer (RPO) of Multan.

RPO Sohail Chaudhry told Dawn that Mr Asim was exercising in his home gym when he called his guard, snatched his gun and committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest.

He said Mr Asim was taken to the nearby RHC, but he could not survive.

The RPO claimed that Mr Asim was undergoing treatment for some psychological problems.

Maulana Tariq Jamil in a post on X, formerly Twitter, termed his son’s death accident. He expressed grief and requested prayers for the deceased.

Condolence messages poured in from across the country after the news about Mr Asim’s death went viral on social media.

National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti, and former prime minister and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif extended their heartfelt condolences to and expressed solidarity with the bereaved family.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2023