SP Adeel Akbar believed to have accidentally shot himself, claim police sources

ISLAMABAD: Superintendent of Police (SP) Adeel Akbar is believed to have accidentally shot himself, police sources claimed on Saturday, with his medical report and a leave request submitted before his death coming to light.

The federal government formed a high-level investigation team to probe SP Akbar’s mysterious death, who sustained gunshot wounds to his head in his vehicle in Islamabad on October 23.

Sources said that officers of the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) are generally not trained in handling submachine guns (SMGs). They added that experts determined the SMG used in the incident was fired at a 65-degree angle. An operator, who was with SP Akbar at the time of the incident, told investigators that the late officer asked for his gun after returning from the Foreign Office, where he attested his documents. Initially, the operator removed the magazine and handed the weapon to SP Akbar. However, he gave the magazine to the officer after he asked for it and inquired about the number of bullets it contained.

A gunshot rang out moments later, hitting the officer in the forehead and exiting through the back of his head, as per the operator. The operator said that SP Akbar had died on the spot; however, he was rushed to PIMS, where he was pronounced dead.

Meanwhile, the late officer’s medical report, dated October 20, 2025, has revealed that the police official had tested positive for dengue. The same day, he submitted a three-day medical leave request, and he rejoined his duties on October 23. The development in the case comes just a day after the IG Islamabad confirmed that the officer fatally shot himself dead inside his vehicle. He said that the Safe City footage reportedly “does not show any external attack; everything appears to have occurred inside the vehicle.”