Embattled but not broken

On the same day that the police were named the second most trusted institution in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa after the military in a poll, Additional Inspector General Ashraf Noor was killed along his trusted guard in a suicide attack on his convoy in Peshawar’s Hayatabad area. Six other policemen were injured in Friday’s explosion which occurred near Zarghooni Mosque. For years the province has been at the forefront, along with the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, in the global and local war on terrorism. Members of the police force have silently borne the brunt of so many terror attacks, losing dozens of bravehearts in the process. Sadly, apart from their home province, most of these martyrs have gone virtually unrecognised in the national sphere.

There is also a great deal of resentment over the role of policemen in other provinces. Their lack of heroism, for the most part, is matched by their ambivalence towards fighting terrorism, violence and crime. Of course there are exceptions but they are just too few and far between.

The slain additional inspector general was a breed apart. He was a dedicated and principled officer who held several key positions during his glittering career. His valour will no doubt encourage many others in the K-P police, pushing them to a new resolve against terrorism. But this is a battle that the K-P police cannot fight alone. Beyond token support, the masses have to be rallied around towards the cause.

Punjab police has also suffered many attacks at the hands of terror groups this year — after a near seven-year lull during which the province was spared from the ferocity of violent assaults that K-P and Quetta have been under. Our law enforcement officials have been trained to fight crime, not terrorism, and that is why they are found wanting. They also need to be equipped with the latest gadgets and tools to take the fight to terror groups.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2017.

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