Silent Heroes: Bomb Disposal Squads of Pakistan
Despite many assurances, BDS personnel continue working in trying circumstances
Unknown to people whose lives they save by risking their own, members of the Bomb Disposal Squads (BDS) remain obscure doing their work in virtual anonymity as the unsung and unrecognised heroes of our society but for whom it would be unthinkable to go to a public place, board a train or a plane or otherwise carry on with our daily routines.
Muhammad Aslam’s responsibilities increase manifold before any political rally, festival or any other public event as he and his four-member team have to sweep the area before people swarm in.
Aslam, a retired army official, and other members of the bomb disposal squads (BDS) in the twin cities have been risking their lives to save others while defusing explosive devices since 2001.
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Bomb disposal officers form part of the most neglected units of the Sindh police. Besides the lowest salaries, they do not even have enough gadgets. The unit has around 43 staff members but only eight experts for the mega city.
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An increase in the number of staffers killed while defusing IEDs in Swat, Bannu and DI Khan in 2008 moved the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa authorities to upgrade the BDS to an independent Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU).
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If a tyre goes flat we don’t even have spares in our vans, a Bomb Disposal Squad official said. Only nine men make up the BDS which works under the District Civil Defence Office.
Gripes about salaries are commonplace among the staff. The commander is paid Rs27,000 while the rest, mostly retired army personnel, are paid Rs17,000 a month.
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Sometimes, life takes us on paths different from the ones others choose for us. Such was the case for Jenny, who died of cancer last month. Jenny’s guardians had chosen a purpose in life for her, or at least her children — to protect people from militants. But the story of her life took an unexpected turn, ending before it really even began.
Jenny was a Labrador, a breed that is highly regarded for its intelligence.
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Members of the BDU may joke about the fragility of life but the jokes abruptly end when the subject is changed to a specific topic — their enemy.
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