K-P pays tribute to police martyrs

Afridi announces financial support; vows stronger security measures

PESHAWAR:

The central ceremony marking Police Martyrs' Day was held in Peshawar on Tuesday, bringing together the province's top civil and military leadership to honour the sacrifices of police personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty.

Chief Minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi attended the event as chief guest. The ceremony was also attended by Corps Commander Peshawar Lt Gen Umar Ahmad Bukhari, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Home and Tribal Affairs Tariq Saeed Khan Marwat, Inspector General Frontier Corps Maj Gen Rao Imran Sartaj, FC Commandant Riaz Nazir Hussain Garra, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, former Inspectors General of Police, world squash champion Jansher Khan, families of police martyrs, decorated police veterans, senior civil and military officials, and a large number of police officers.

Chief Minister Afridi paid glowing tribute to the police martyrs, saying their supreme sacrifices had enabled citizens to live in peace and security.

Afridi announced an additional honorarium of Rs50,000 for the family of every police martyr. He also directed the relevant authorities to expedite the allotment of residential plots to the heirs of martyrs so they receive them without unnecessary delay.

Highlighting the government's commitment to strengthening law enforcement, the chief minister said nearly Rs35 billion had been allocated during the previous fiscal year to enhance the operational capacity of the K-P police, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and the Special Branch. He added that the police budget for the current fiscal year had been increased to more than Rs180 billion.

He emphasized that peace is the foundation of development and prosperity, describing the establishment of lasting peace as the provincial government's foremost priority. He said defeating terrorism requires joint efforts by both the police and the public, stressing that sustainable peace can only be achieved through collective responsibility.

Referring to the security situation, Afridi said that when the government of former prime minister Imran Khan assumed office in 2018, it was the only period during which the province witnessed relative peace. He said peace had been secured through two decades of sacrifices by police personnel, security forces and civilians, adding that policies that undermined those gains deserved criticism.

Afridi argued that if a 22-year counterterrorism policy had failed to produce the desired results, it was essential to adopt a new approach. He said sustainable peace could not be achieved through the use of force alone, but required wisdom, dialogue and prudent policymaking.

He warned that political differences and personal rivalries should not prevent stakeholders from working together, as the consequences would be borne by everyone.