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Thursday March 28, 2024

80.71pc of KP cops killed in 46 years were constables

By Javed Aziz Khan
July 26, 2016

383 cops killed between 1970 and 2005; 1,204 lost lives since 2006

PESHAWAR: The police constables and head constables make a huge 80.71 percent share of the cops killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 1970 followed by 17.07 percent junior officers and 2.2 percent senior policemen.

This was revealed by a study of the attacks on the police in the last 46 years. The official statistics showed that attacks on the police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa shot up in the last 10 years resulting in killing of 1,204 cops since 2006 compared to 383 during 1970-2005.

Those martyred included 1,133 police constables and 148 head constables. The junior officers who were killed included 25 inspectors, 115 sub-inspectors and 131 assistant sub-inspectors. A few female also embraced martyrdom in the attacks.

The senior officers who were killed during the last 46 years included 24 deputy superintendents of police (DSPs), one assistant superintendent of police (ASP), seven superintendents of police (SPs), two deputy inspectors general (DIGs) and one additional inspector general.

Additional IGP Safwat Ghayur, who was heading the Frontier Constabulary as commandant was the senior most officer to embrace martyrdom in the attacks on the police in the last 46 years. One of the most daring cops, he was regarded among the best policemen Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has produced. His death anniversary on August 4 is officially observed as KP Police Martyrs’ Day all over the province.

Meetings have been held at the Central Police Office and divisional and district headquarters to finalise arrangements for the Martyrs Day. The day was observed for the first time last year. The biggest event was held at the Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines in Peshawar.

The Peshawar Police suffered the most during the last over 10 years as many of its officers and jawans became victim of suicide blasts, bomb attacks, ambushes, rocket barrages and target killings.

One Additional IG, two DIGs and three SPs were killed in Peshawar alone in the last decade. Two senior SPs sustained serious injuries in attacks in Matani and Gulbahar. For the police the year 2009 was the worst in the last 46 years when 207 policemen were killed in attacks. Besides, 148 policemen were killed in 2011 and 176 in 2008.

In the last century, 1993 was the worst year for the KP Police when it lost 25 cops followed by 23 casualties in 1991, 22 each in 1987 and 1998, 20 in 1995, 17 each in 1996 and 1990 and 15 in 1988. Not a single casualty was reported in 1971.

As per the statistics of the recent years, eight policemen were killed in attacks in 2005, 28 in 2006, 107 in 2007, 176 in 2008, 207 in 2009, 101 in 2010, 148 in 2011, 94 in 2012, 133 in 2013, 108 in 2014 and 60 in 2015. 

The incidents of target killings have again increased in recent months. These incidents are giving a tough time to the Capital City Police and the other law-enforcement agencies. During the current year, 42 policemen have so far lost their lives. This figure is more than the figures in the first seven months of the previous year.