Rich tributes paid to fallen cops on Martyrs Day

PESHAWAR: Hundreds of fallen heroes and ghazis of police were paid glowing tributes in ceremonies across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the rest of the country on the Martyrs Day.

The day started with a salute to the grave of Safwat Ghayur Shaheed, a former commandant of the Frontier Constabulary, in Pawaka.

Capital City Police Officer Abbas Ahsan, who is called Safwat in official communication on radio, presented a salute to the senior most among the fallen heroes of the force.

Senior Superintendent of Police Yasir Afridi, Senior Superintendent of Police Coordination Waseem Khalil and other officers also presented a salute to the grave of Safwat Ghayur.

Safwat Ghayur was martyred in a suicide attack outside his office in Peshawar Saddar on August 4, 2010. The Martyrs Day is observed across the country every year on his death anniversary.

“Hundreds of policemen have rendered supreme sacrifice of their lives for peace in the country. The day is being observed to pay tribute to the fallen heroes across the country,” said Abbas Ahsan.

He added KP police was the force of the bravest that was ready to meet any challenge. The CCPO said the police force was fully prepared to face any situation and lay down their lives for the sake of the country.

“The highest share among the martyred cops and those wounded in KP is from Peshawar. At least 334 policemen were martyred in the city,” said Abbas Ahsan.

The SSP traffic as well as SPs of all circles also presented salutes to the graves of martyrs in different parts of Peshawar. They also met the families of the martyrs to acknowledge the sacrifice of their loved ones.

Apart from salutes, a blood donation camp was arranged at the Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines.

Earlier, Quran Khwani was held in mosques for the departed souls as well as peace in the country.

Addressing a function in connection with the day at police lines, DIG Fasihuddin said the KP Police played the frontline role in restoration of peace.

He said the martyred cops were an asset to the KP Police and everyone is proud of them.

“We are taking maximum care of the families of the martyrs. Sons of at least 260 martyrs were recruited in the force last year and 111 of them are currently undergoing training,” said Fasihuddin.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Moazzam Jah Ansari was scheduled to attend the function as chief guest but he had quarantined himself after contracting the coronavirus.

The IGP in his message lauded the sacrifices of the police and other security forces and said their blood has helped restore peace.

As many as 1508 policemen were martyred in suicide attacks, blasts, target killings, ambushes and encounters while performing duty in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the last 21 years.

A number of policemen died in the line of duty in recent weeks. Thousands of others were maimed in attacks but they are still ready to fight for peace.

The latest incident was the martyrdom of a station house officer in North Waziristan , Mohammad Shafiq on August 3.

According to the figures, 286 policemen had lost lives in different incidents in KP from 1970 till 1999. Some reports said the number was 246.

The figure, however, suddenly increased manifold from 2000 to 2021. More policemen were martyred in a single year, 2009, than the casualties of the force between 1980 and 2000.

Those who were martyred during the last almost 21 years included two additional inspectors general of police (Ad IGs), two deputy inspectors general of police (DIGs), six superintendents of police (SPs), one SSP and 17 acting SPs or DSPs. Besides, the martyrs included 32 inspectors or acting DSPs, 125 sub inspectors, 85 ASIs and 152 head constables.

The highest number of martyrs, 1087, is of constables, the junior most rank of the force that participate in every raid, search operation, operation, on roads and at checking points.

Constables are the most vulnerable as they perform duty everywhere and this is why they sacrificed the most in any operation or attack. A number of women were also among the martyrs.

For the KP Police, the years from 2007 till 2014 were the worst when hundreds of senior and junior cops were attacked in the province, particularly Peshawar.

According to KP police records, 27 cops were martyred in different attacks in the province in 2006, 107 in 2007, 172 in 2008, 209 in 2009, 107 in 2010 and 154 in 2011, 106 in 2012, 134 in 2013 and 111 policemen were martyred in 2014. The situation started improving after 2014, reducing the casualties of the police force.

Safwat Ghayur was the senior most officers of the KP Police who sacrificed his life in a suicide attack on his car on August 4, 2010.

The Peshawar Police Lines were named after Malik Mohammad Saad, a former CCPO Peshawar who was martyred along with many other policemen and civilians in a suicide attack in January 2007.

Other senior officials who were martyred in the last many years included Ad IG Ashraf Noor, DIG Abid Ali, SSP Sajid Mohmand, Khurshid Khan, Iqbal Marwat, Kalam Khan, Hilal Haider and a large number of others.