A senior Islamabad police officer, Superintendent of Police (SP) Adeel Akbar, died on Thursday in what officials have described as an apparent suicide, though the incident has triggered widespread speculation and a high-level inquiry to ascertain the circumstances leading to his death.
According to initial reports, SP Akbar, who was serving as the zonal police head of the Industrial Area, sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head while he was on duty near a private hotel close to Serena Chowk in the high-security Red Zone. Police sources said the officer reportedly shot himself using his government-issued firearm while seated inside his official vehicle. He was immediately rushed to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where doctors pronounced him dead.
The incident occurred at approximately 4:30 pm, shortly after the officer had left a routine security post. The area was cordoned off following the gunshot, and police investigators collected forensic evidence from the vehicle, including the weapon, spent shells, and the officer’s uniform. The pistol has been sent for ballistic examination, while fingerprints are being cross-verified through NADRA. Samples from the body have also been sent for autopsy and forensic testing.
A three-member inquiry committee has been formed to investigate the case, comprising DIG Headquarters, DIG Islamabad, and DIG Security. The team is working under the direct supervision of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad, Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi. Speaking to reporters at PIMS, State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry said the government was committed to ensuring a transparent and comprehensive probe. The officer’s driver and official staff present at the time of the incident have been detained for questioning, and investigators are reviewing Safe City surveillance footage from the vicinity. According to the IGP, preliminary video review “does not indicate any external attack,” though officials have cautioned that no final conclusion will be drawn before the inquiry is complete.
SP Adeel Akbar, originally from Gujrat, was a member of the 46th Common of the Police Service of Pakistan and was known among colleagues for his professionalism, humility, and commitment to his work. He held an MPhil in Governance and Public Policy from the National Defence University and had previously served in Balochistan in postings related to counterterrorism, community policing, and crisis response. He is survived by his wife and a one-year-old daughter.
His funeral prayers were offered late Thursday night, and his body has been transported to his ancestral village.