Childhood friends separated by death

Fatally wounded cop was concerned about his ailing mother and her medicine

PESHAWAR:

The tragic stories of police lines suicide attack continue to bring sorrow to the hearts and minds of the residents of Peshawar which is experiencing the fourth wave of terrorism since the creation of Pakistan.

Constable Daud Khan of Peshawar police, who succumbed to his head and chest wounds in the Rescue 1122 ambulance at the gate of Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), seemed extremely worried about the well-being of his ailing mother.

Before breathing his last, Daud Khan repeatedly asked the rescuers ‘Would I survive, I am the most beloved child of my ailing mother and how will she face the trauma of my death. When I left home for duty, my mother asked me to bring her medicines,” a rescue worker Taimur Khan, who rushed the injured cop to hospital, said.

“Daud was not much worried about his fatal wounds. Rather, he was concerned about his mother till the last breath,” he added.

The story of Constable Ibne Ameen and Iftikhar Khan, two childhood friends from Ameerabad village of Charsadda, is equally touching.

Iftikhar Khan was initially recruited in Wapda but quit his job and joined police just to stay close to his friend Ibne Ameen.

“They were always together from childhood to adulthood and even in police service, until death separated them,” said a close relative, adding that both friends were also buried side by side.

Constable Irfan Khan, a resident of Takht Bhai Mardan was recruited in police in 2008. He was eagerly waiting for the holy month of Ramazan to perform umrah for which all preparations had been done. He left behind a widow and two sons.

The prayer leader of the mosque was also killed in the attack and his son told The Express Tribune that his father Maulana Noorul Ameen always wanted to die in the line of duty to be a martyr and his wish was granted on that fateful Monday.

“He wanted to see me a doctor,” he said.

Similarly, Constable Zeeshan of Mardan was critically injured in the attack. He is the only brother of six sisters and he got married just two and a half months ago.

A resident of Katlang, Mardan he joined the police force five years ago.

Currently he is in a coma at Lady Reading Hospital (LRH).

The story of Counter Terrorism Department DSP Asmat Shah is no different from his colleagues. He was a resident of Urmar, a locality on the outskirts of Peshawar.

His funeral was attended by thousands.

“He thought that death was also part of the game in police service and was not afraid of it,” his relatives said.

A joint investigation team (JIT) has been formed to probe how the bomber penetrated several layers of security and reached his target without being noticed.

CCPO Ijaz Khan told journalists that it is being investigated if the bomber was brought in an official vehicle or facilitated by an insider.

Forensic investigation of the entry of four suspected people into police lines was also made to ascertain if these suspects were the facilitators of the bomber or otherwise.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2023.