A suspect was apprehended on Wednesday evening after a firing incident during a private function attended by National Conference president and former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary in Jammu.
The incident occurred when the two leaders were leaving the venue after attending the function. It was not immediately clear whether the firing attempt was aimed at the VVIPs.
The accused, identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, was quickly overpowered by security personnel present at the venue and taken into custody.
Senior police officials rushed to the spot and launched an investigation to ascertain the circumstances and motive behind the incident.
In a brief statement, J&K Police said, "An incident of firing was reported at a function where JKNC chief Farooq Abdullah and Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary were present. One person has been arrested. More details are awaited."
Eighty-nine-year-old Farooq Abdullah is a senior and highly respected national leader. He is protected by the NSG due to the threat perception assessed by intelligence agencies.
He is the president of the National Conference and served as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on several occasions between 1982 and 2002. He also served as the Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy from 2009 to 2014.
Allah is kind. My father had a very close shave. The details are sketchy at the moment but what is known is that a man with a loaded pistol was able to get within point blank range & discharge a shot. It was only the close protection team that deflected the shot & ensured that… https://t.co/hYBe64Eigl
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 11, 2026
His father, Sheikh Abdullah, was the first elected Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Farooq Abdullah is also the father of Omar Abdullah, the incumbent Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah described the incident as an "assassination attempt" on his father, who has Z+ security cover.
"My father had a very close shave. The details are sketchy at the moment, but what is known is that 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.
"It was only the close protection team that deflected the shot and ensured that the assassination attempt failed. There are more questions than answers at the moment, including how someone was able to get this close to a Z+ NSG-protected former CM," he added.
Videos from the scene showed the attacker being restrained by security personnel, while some people were also seen thrashing him after he was caught.
After his arrest, the accused told police he is a resident of Puranas Mandi in Jammu. The 65-year-old reportedly claimed he had been waiting for this moment for nearly 20 years.
Farooq Abdullah was attending a marriage ceremony at Royal Park in Greater Kailash, Jammu, when the incident took place.
At the time, he was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and Nasir Sogami, advisor to the J&K Chief Minister.
Nasir Sogami said it appeared to be an attempt on Farooq Abdullah's life but added that no one was injured in the firing.
"Right now we can't draw any conclusions. God was kind that everyone is safe and Farooq Abdullah is safe," Sogami said, adding that the motive behind the attack and whether there was any security lapse are still being investigated.
(With inputs from IANS)
