'God saved me’: Farooq Abdullah escapes 'assassination' attempt, raises concerns over security arrangements

Srinagar: A day after escaping an “assassination” attempt at a wedding in Jammu, Farooq Abdullah on Thursday termed his survival an act of “divine intervention” and questioned the “total absence” of police deployment at the high-profile event where the gun attack took place.

The 88-year-old president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference and former chief minister was attending a wedding reception on Wednesday night when a man allegedly fired at him from close range.

Abdullah escaped unhurt after his security personnel quickly overpowered the assailant.

Recalling the incident, Abdullah said he initially mistook the gunshot for a firecracker. “I thought it was a firecracker. Later I realised it was a gunshot. God saved me,” he told reporters while reacting to the incident.

The veteran politician, however, raised concerns over security arrangements at the venue, saying there was no visible police presence despite the attendance of several prominent political figures.

“There were many important people present there. There should have been proper arrangements. But there was a total absence of police deployment,” Abdullah said, urging authorities to examine the apparent security lapse.

Police identified the accused as Kamal Singh Jamwal, a 63-year-old resident of Jammu, who was detained immediately after the firing. Officials said the weapon used in the attack — a licensed pistol — has been seized.

During preliminary questioning, the accused allegedly told investigators that he had been harbouring a grudge against Abdullah for years and had been waiting for an opportunity to kill him.

According to police sources, Jamwal claimed he had wanted to assassinate the former chief minister for nearly two decades.

Security officials said initial investigations suggest the attack appears to have been driven by a personal motive, with no immediate indication of a terror angle.

However, agencies are examining how the assailant managed to reach close to a Z-plus protected leader at a crowded public event.

The incident has triggered concern over security arrangements for senior political leaders attending social gatherings in Jammu and Kashmir.

Several political leaders condemned the attack and expressed relief that Abdullah was unharmed, while demanding a detailed inquiry into the circumstances that allowed the attacker to get so close to the veteran leader.

Authorities said that further investigation is underway to determine the sequence of events and whether there were lapses in security coordination at the venue.