A personal security guard of former Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was shot dead on Friday after his convoy came under fire in Poonch district.The attack occurred near the Tain-Dhalkot bridge over the Jhelum River, with unidentified assailants opening fire from the mountainside.Muhammad Asif, a retired commando serving as one of Ilyas’s guards, was critically injured and died en route to a hospital in Rawalpindi.

Ilyas, who heads the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP), claimed the attack was carried out by banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) members, though this could not be independently verified.Tain-Dhalkot, Ilyas’s native constituency, has seen political tensions with his uncle’s widow, Shahida Saghir, winning the seat in 2021.Ilyas is contesting regional elections from three constituencies, including LA-22, where Saghir is a candidate.Officials advised against his visit to the area due to law-and-order concerns, but he proceeded at his own risk.

In a video message, Ilyas praised his guard’s sacrifice, accused JAAC of road blockades and hostage-taking, and demanded a decisive operation against the group.He also alleged the attack was linked to India’s RAW intelligence agency.Ilyas’s staff announced compensation for the slain guard’s family, but attempts to contact his spokesperson were unsuccessful.