“Waited 20 Years to Kill Him”: Attacker Fires at Farooq Abdullah

• Man opens fire at Farooq Abdullah from close range at wedding function in Jammu
• NSG commandos overpower attacker after shot misses target
• Accused claims he waited 20 years and acted due to a “personal agenda”
• Police seize licensed pistol; probe launched into security breach

GG News Bureau
Jammu, 12th March: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah narrowly escaped an assassination attempt on Wednesday after a man opened fire at him from close range during a wedding function in Jammu.

The attacker, identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, reportedly used his licensed pistol to fire a shot at the National Conference president. The bullet missed Abdullah, and NSG commandos from his Z+ security detail quickly overpowered the gunman, preventing further danger.

According to police, the accused showed no remorse during questioning and claimed he had waited two decades for the opportunity.

“When asked why he tried to kill Abdullah, he said he had been waiting 20 years for the moment and acted due to a ‘personal agenda’,” officials said.

The dramatic incident occurred at the wedding of the daughter of National Conference leader B.S. Chouhan, where Abdullah had arrived along with Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and Nasir Sogami, adviser to the Chief Minister.

Eyewitnesses said the attacker managed to move close to Abdullah before firing the shot. A video from the venue showed Jamwal standing at point-blank range before pulling the trigger.

Rakesh Singh, an eyewitness, said the accused later told people he was the chairman of a little-known organisation called “Jagran Manch.” He also claimed to live on income from three shops he owned.

After being overpowered by security personnel, Jamwal was beaten by some people at the venue before being taken into custody by police. The pistol used in the attack has been seized.

Nasir Sogami described the incident as a clear attempt to assassinate Farooq Abdullah, adding that it was fortunate that no one was injured.

“It was an attempt to kill him, but by God’s grace no one was harmed. We do not yet know the motive or whether there was any lapse in security,” he said.

Reacting to the incident, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said his father had a narrow escape.

“Allah is kind. My father had a very close shave. A man with a loaded pistol was able to get within point blank range and discharge a shot,” Omar Abdullah said in a post on X.

He credited the close protection team for deflecting the attack, ensuring that the assassination attempt failed.

“There are more questions than answers at the moment, including how someone managed to get so close to a Z+ NSG protected former Chief Minister,” he added.

Police have launched a detailed investigation to determine the motive behind the attack and examine whether there was any security breach that allowed the accused to approach Abdullah so closely.