MUZAFFARABAD (MNN); A personal security guard of former Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was martyred on Friday after unidentified gunmen opened fire on his convoy in the Tain-Dhalkot area of Poonch district, officials said.
According to officials, the convoy of Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, who now heads the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) in AJK, was travelling through his native constituency when armed assailants opened fire from a nearby mountainside at around 1:30pm.
The attack occurred approximately one-and-a-half kilometres beyond the Tain-Dhalkot Bridge over the Jhelum River.
Muhammad Asif, a retired commando from Sudhnoti serving as one of Ilyas’s security guards, was critically wounded after reportedly shielding the former prime minister from the gunfire. He sustained a gunshot wound to the head and later embraced martyrdom while being shifted to a hospital in Rawalpindi.
Officials confirmed that Sardar Tanveer Ilyas remained unharmed in the attack.
In a video statement issued after the incident, Ilyas alleged that armed members of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) were behind the attack. However, the claim has not been independently verified, and there was no immediate response from the organisation.
The attack took place in LA-22 (Poonch-V), the former premier’s home constituency, where he is contesting the upcoming Azad Kashmir elections on an IPP ticket.
Official sources said the district administration had advised Ilyas against visiting the area because of the prevailing law and order situation. However, after he insisted on proceeding, officials informed him that the visit would be undertaken at his own risk.
According to sources, police were later informed by Ilyas’s staff that they would proceed with the visit despite security concerns.
Paying tribute to his slain guard, Ilyas said Muhammad Asif sacrificed his life while protecting him. He also claimed that several other members of his convoy sustained injuries during the attack.
The former prime minister alleged that the same group protesting over shortages of flour and essential commodities was also blocking roads and creating hardship for ordinary citizens.
He claimed attempts to resolve the situation through dialogue had failed and urged authorities to take decisive action against those responsible.
Calling the attackers “terrorists”, Ilyas demanded a comprehensive operation against them and said the armed forces should also play their role if required.
He further alleged that those involved were pursuing the agenda of India’s intelligence agency RAW, though he did not provide evidence to support the claim.
Sources close to Ilyas said he had announced financial compensation and a residential plot for the family of the martyred security guard.
