ISLAMABAD: A three-member committee has been constituted to probe the death of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Adeel Akbar, who died from a bullet wound under unexplained circumstances in Islamabad.

A police spokesman told Dawn that the committee comprises deputy inspectors general (DIGs) of police and is headed by director general of Islamabad Safe City Authority, DIG Headquarters Haroon Joya. Other members include DIG Operations Jawad Tariq and DIG Security Atiq Tahir.

The committee was formed under the directions of the inspector general of police (IGP) Islamabad, with instructions to submit its report within 48 hours. It has been tasked to determine the facts surrounding the death of ASP Akbar, who was serving as Superintendent of Police (SP) Industrial Area Zone and to establish whether it was an accident, suicide, or murder, as well as to identify the possible causes and motives.

Police officers, speaking to Dawn on condition of anonymity, said the committee will also summon a doctor for questioning regarding his social media and press statements claiming that the ASP had visited him at Pims and his private clinic and had shared personal information.

Three-member panel given 48 hours to submit report; sources say police not ruling out accident, suicide, or foul play

According to the officers, Mr Akbar was on his way to the Establishment Division and had spoken to an officer he was scheduled to meet.

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However, the officer informed him that he was not in the office, after which Mr Akbar asked his driver to take a U-turn near the Foreign Office.

Meanwhile, the late officer’s operator informed him that an officer from the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) wanted to speak with him and sent him a message. Mr Akbar last spoke with the PAS officer regarding a professional matter and said he would ask the station house officer about it.

The officers said the late officer had recently been transferred to Islamabad from Balochistan and had expressed security concerns. A week ago, he had received a new official vehicle and had its windows fully tinted.

He had also inquired about the official weapon issued to his staff, citing security concerns. His operator informed him that he had an SMG (submachine gun), which Mr Akbar asked to see.

The operator removed the magazine and checked the chamber before handing it to him. Akbar then asked about the magazine and the number of bullets. The operator replied that he had 50 bullets and handed him the magazine on his request.

A short while later, as the vehicle reached Jinnah Square near the Serena Hotel underpass, the driver and operator heard a gunshot. They found Akbar slumped in his seat with a bullet wound to his forehead.

The operator immediately informed police communications, stating that “SP City took the weapon from us and shot himself near Serena.”

A team from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency later visited the scene, examined the vehicle and weapon, and collected samples. His mobile phone was recovered from the vehicle and has been taken into custody to be handed over to the FIA for forensic examination.

Mr Akbar had recently been shortlisted for a Fulbright Scholarship and had received the official letter on October 6. He was scheduled to appear for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) on Friday (October 24).

The officer’s driver and operator have been taken into protective custody and are being kept at a police building in I-9.

The incident has not yet been registered in any police record, including the daily diary. Further legal action will be taken in light of the committee’s inquiry report.

According to police officers, the incident appears to be accidental, as Akbar was supposed to meet an officer regarding his promotion shortly before his death. He was reportedly anxious about his promotion but was also actively pursuing the Fulbright scholarship, had scheduled his TOEFL test, and had sent his academic degrees for verification, indicating that he was focused on his career and personal growth, with no apparent signs of suicidal intent.

He had also spoken normally to a PAS officer just minutes before the incident. When the gunman handed him the SMG, Akbar had followed normal safety procedures to ensure there was no bullet in the chamber, the sources said. “There is a possibility that while inserting the magazine and holding the weapon upright, it accidentally discharged,” they said.

The angle of the gunshot was measured at 65 degrees between the eyebrows. Experts noted that it is extremely difficult to commit suicide with an SMG, as individuals typically place such weapons under the chin.

The officers said that while the evidence suggests an accidental discharge, other possibilities cannot be ruled out. Therefore, the investigation remains open, they added.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2025