LAHORE: Deputy Superintendent of Police Lahore Tariq Kamboh and his driver were gunned down in an ambush by two motorcyclists at the Canal Road near Johar Town Phase-1 on Saturday morning.
DSP Tariq Kamboh, presently an OSD, left his Wafaqi Colony residence at around 11:00 am and was attacked when his car (LOU-6347) was crossing a the canal bridge to go towards the New Campus.
The witnesses said that the attackers were waiting for the DSP at the bridge and as his car reached there they opened fire. A fruit vendor, who was selling fruit in front of the bridge said, as the firing started he hid himself behind his cart and saw the two assailants fleeing towards Johar Town on a motorcycle (LXL-8630). "Their faces were covered with shawls," the vendor said.
Another witness said Kamboh's car went out of control after being hit by the bullets, both the rear and front windows panes shattered and it ploughed into the bushes along the road.
Another witness said when kamboh was attacked, a patrolling van of Hanjarwal Police Station also arrived on the scene, but did not chase the fleeing attackers. He added a constable got out of the van and ran after the accused, while other policemen rushed to the DSP's car and found Tariq Kamboh and his driver Yasin dead.
The police said both were rushed to the Jinnah Hospital where doctors pronounced them dead. A doctor said Tariq and his driver had been in their heads, faces and upper body. He said the bodies were later shifted to city morgue for autopsy.
Reportedly, Yasin was Tariq's official guard and had not reported to the District Police Lines after his withdrawal for guard duty so his attendance was not being marked at that office. Officially, he was absent from duty on the day of the incident. Sources at city morgue said that kamboh had sustained 17 bullet wounds, while Yasin had been hit by nine shots.
In the meantime, Kamboh's family reached the spot. Amin Khan, elder brother of the deceased, said Tariq Kamboh had left behind four kids and a widow. He said Tariq belonged to Faisalabad and joined the police service in 1985 on sports basis.
Talking about the official gunmen of Tariq Kabmoh, he said his four official gunmen and arms were withdrawn four days back, but Yasin remained with him as was a close relative. Tariq was a cautious man, said Amin adding in the past when they were going towards the City Tariq always asked him to cross the bridge--on which he was killed--as fast as he could.
About some months back, some unidentified men came to his house and asked his wife that Tariq had sent them to fetch the arms in his house, Amin said. He added that Tariq's wife smelled something wrong, did not open the door and called Tariq about the men. He said after that incident Tariq often received threat calls and letters.
the SP Sadar Malik Habib said 13 shells were recovered from the spot. he said the accused were three in number and used a mausar and a klashnikov in the attack. He said the attackers opened fire at the car from the right side.
The SP further said Abdul Ghafoor, SHO Hanjarwal, was first to reach the spot. He said he was going to SP office to attend a meeting when he saw Kamboh's uncontrolled car going into the bushes.
The SP, however, admitted that the SHO did not follow the killers. Justifying the act of the SHO, he said instead he rushed Kamboh to the hospital to save his life. Later, the SP said that Tariq Kamboh was killed by the same persons who had killed SSP Gujranwala Ashraf Marth. He said Kamboh was receiving life threats after he arrested several Sipah-e-Sahaba militants.
A police official, requesting anonymity said, Tariq had also some dispute with a police official and some months back managed the demotion of his rival. The official, however, suggested that Tariq was killed by a religious militant outfit because he had killed their of three members in encounters.
He said Tariq Kamboh was due for promotion as SP, but after the custodial death of Ishaq Billa--a key suspect in serial killer Javed Iqbal case--at CIA Cantt, Tariq was suspended and a criminal case was registered against him. SSP Syed Kalb-e-Abbas has formed two investigation teams under Sadar Division and CIA SPs.
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility of killing of Deputy Superintendent of Police Tariq Kamboh. It claimed that Kamboh was on their hit list for a long time. As soon as they found an opportunity, he was killed.