“I Waited 20 Years to Kill Him”: Gunman After Failed Attack on Farooq Abdullah | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, Farooq Abdullah, had a narrow escape on Wednesday after a man allegedly fired a shot at him from point-blank range during a wedding function in Jammu.

The accused, identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, 63, told police after his arrest that he had waited for two decades for the opportunity to assassinate Abdullah and that the attack stemmed from a “personal agenda.”

The incident occurred when Abdullah was leaving a marriage ceremony in the Greater Kailash area of Jammu. According to police, Jamwal managed to approach the National Conference leader from behind and fired a shot from a licensed pistol at close range. The bullet missed its target as members of the close protection team immediately intervened and overpowered the attacker.

Security personnel from the National Security Guard and the Jammu and Kashmir Police, deployed with the Z+ protectee, quickly detained the accused and seized the firearm used in the attack.

During preliminary questioning, Jamwal reportedly showed no remorse. When asked by a police officer why he wanted to kill Abdullah, he replied: “Today I got the chance to kill him, but he survived.” Pressed further about the motive, he said he had his “own mission.”

Eyewitnesses said the attacker placed the revolver behind Abdullah’s back before firing, but missed the shot. People present at the function and security personnel immediately overpowered him. Jamwal was briefly thrashed by some attendees before being handed over to the police.

At the time of the incident, Abdullah was accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and adviser to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani.

Reacting to the incident, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said his father had a “very close shave.”

“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 and discharge a shot,” he said in a post on X.

He added that the close protection team prevented the assassination attempt and raised questions about how the attacker managed to reach such close proximity to a Z+ protected leader.

Police said a case has been registered and further investigation is underway. CCTV footage from the venue has also surfaced showing the gunman approaching Abdullah from behind and attempting to fire before being tackled by security personnel. No injuries were reported.