In the line of fire: Families of deceased policemen left to pick up the pieces

Head constable Shaheen and driver Ibrahim died in a grenade attack on Tuesday.

SHABQADAR:

Policeman Shaheen Islam’s three children had been eagerly awaiting their father’s return from duty for nearly a week; they were not expecting him to come back in a coffin.

Head constable Shaheen and another policeman, Ibrahim, died on Tuesday night in Shabqadar when militants hurled a grenade at a police van, causing it to burst into flames.

The 50-year-old who hailed from Latamber, Karak had served the country for most of his life; he had retired from the army in 2012 and joined the police force.

According to his cousin Fazal Muhammad, Shaheen spent all his savings on building a house in his village after retirement. With no other source of income left, Shaheen then joined the police. “He was a real soldier and he lived and died as one,” said Fazal Muhammad.

Shaheen’s son Saqib Islam, a first year student at Government Degree College Latamber, told The Express Tribune his father was a brave man. “His biggest desire was to serve the nation.”



According to Saqib, the family had last met Shaheen on November 13. “We were waiting for him to return, but instead we received his body,” said the bereaved teenager.

“My father was the sole breadwinner of our family. He wanted me to become a doctor, but I cannot continue my studies any longer; my mother remains ill and I must take care of the family now,” Saqib added.

He said Shaheen’s colleagues have visited his family and assured them of help. Being the eldest son, if the police department offers Saqib a job in his father’s place, he will accept. “I want to be a police officer and serve my country as my father did. If I die in doing so, I will die like my father, a hero,” said the teenager.

The militant attack that Tuesday night also shattered another family. Ibrahim, who had joined the police in 2007 as a van driver, also lost his life, leaving behind two children and a widow.

Ibrahim’s colleague Marwat said he was a good-natured person and performed his duty enthusiastically. “He sacrificed his life for the country, but now there is no one to care for his family,” said Marwat.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2014.