Never forget: K-P remembers selfless sacrifices of police heroes

Various ceremonies held in the province as force members visit martyrs’ graves

SWABI/ CHITRAL/ NOWSHERA/ HANGU/ PESHAWAR/ BATKHELA: The K-P police observed Youm-e-Shuhada Police Day on Thursday. To pay homage to those who sacrificed their lives to ensure that the rest of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa could exist in relative safety.

Over 1,300 police personnel have lost their lives in the war against militancy. According to data with The Express Tribune, 340 policemen were killed in Peshawar alone since 2006, more than any other district of K-P.

Officials placed flowers on the graves of fallen policemen and offered prayers across police stations and mosques throughout the province. A blood donation camp was also established at a police hospital in Peshawar where members of the force could donate. A guard of honour was offered at the graves of some martyrs in Peshawar.

A contingent of police offered a guard of honour at the graves of slain FC commandant Sifwat Ghayur in Pishtakhara and police martyrs, including slain SP Investigation Hilal Haider in Yakatoot, Traffic DSP Amanullah in Chamkani, Constable Abdur Rahim in Daudzai and SI Aftab Khan in Yakatoot.



Quran Khwani was held at various police stations and mosques across the province, while officers of the Special Branch visited graveyards in different parts of Peshawar district to place flowers on the graves of slain policemen.

They also placed flowers on the grave of BDU officer Hukam Khan in Mattani.

In Nowshera, Mardan DIG Muhammad Tahir visited the Shuhada camp and spoke to policemen about the sacrifices of their fellows. The camp was held at Shobra Chowk where pictures of martyred police personnel were hung on walls and prayers were offered. Chief Minister Pervez Khattak also visited the camp and lauded the sacrifices of police personnel.

In Hangu, district nazim Mufti Ubaidullah and DPO Shah Nazar organised a ceremony at the police lines and invited several members of the force. “The sacrifices of policemen will be written with golden words in the books of history. Police personnel are performing their duties with honesty to ensure the security of the residents,” the district nazim said.

Meanwhile, in Batkhela, Malakand Special Branch Inspector Akber Zeb Khan, Inspector Ubaidullah, ASI Nizamuddin and other police personnel paid tribute to the fallen by visiting the grave of Batkhela ASI Abdul Haq and policeman Zahid.

They also visited the families of the martyrs and distributed food packages and cash cheques. At the same time, families of martyred levies personnel said the government and police officials ignored their slain family members. Dozens of levies personnel lost their lives while serving the country, but were neither remembered nor was any ceremony held for them, bereaved families members claimed.

In Chitral, district nazim Maghfirat Shah paid tribute to national heroes by hosting a well-attended ceremony at the district police lines. “The sacrifices of policemen in Chitral have shown terrorists that they (members of the force) cannot be beaten,” said Maghfirat Shah, while addressing the ceremony. Chitral District Police Officer Asif Iqbal Momand said policemen had laid down their lives for the safety of the people.

In Swabi, a guard of honour was presented to the martyred police personnel by District Police Officer Javed Iqbal and DC Matihullah Khan. A ceremony was held to commemorate the sacrifices of police personnel.

There were also various functions in three tehsils of Charsadda district to remember the fallen. DPO Suhail Khalid and others visited the grave of SP Khursheed Khan and paid tribute to the martyred soul.

In Tangi tehsil, DSP Sajjad Hussain visited the graves of martyred police officers. Senior provincial minister Sikandar Sherpao was also present and paid tribute to the slain officials.

In Shabqadar, a function was held where the families of slain police officers were present and people remembered their sacrifices. 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2016.