683 cops sacrificed their lives in six years

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police

Families given Rs1.8 billion as compensation

PESHAWAR: As many as 688 policemen were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the last six years, with 246 of them sacrificing their lives alone in the capital city. The share of Peshawar in the supreme sacrifice is 35.7 per cent of the rest of the province. Peshawar is followed by Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan where 68 and 48 policemen lost their lives respectively in suicide attacks, bomb blasts, ambushes, target killings, encounters and other incidents from 2010 to the end of 2015.

Among the other districts, 29 each were killed in Charsadda and Swabi, 28 in Mardan, 27 in Hangu, 26 in Dir Upper, 22 in Kohat, 21 in Swat, 20 in Dir Lower, 18 in Shangla, 13 in Nowshera and 10 were killed in Torghar during the six years.

“As many as 106 policemen were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2010, 151 in 2011, 96 in 2012, 100 in 2013, 118 in 2014 and 117 in 2015 in various kinds of attacks,” said a study conducted by a non-governmental organization, Center for Governance and Public Accountability.

The cops killed during the six years included an additional inspector general and the then commandant of the Frontier Constabulary, Safwat Ghayur, the then district police officer Bannu Mohammad Iqbal Marwat, three superintendents of police (SPs) in Peshawar, Kalam Khan, Hilal Haider and Khurshid Khan.

Besides, those killed during the period included five deputy superintendents of police, 17 inspectors, 43 sub inspectors and 32 assistant sub inspectors. The rest of the martyred cops were head constables and constables.

According to the study, nine of those killed between 2010 and 2015 were female cops who were either killed in blasts or fell prey to target killers.

“As many as Rs1.8 billion were given as compensation to the families of the cops killed during the period. Rs\289 million were paid to the families of the cops in 2010, Rs329 million in 2011, Rs295 million in 2012, Rs262 million in 2013, Rs311 million in 2014 and Rs316 million in 2015,” said Mohammad Anwar, the executive director of the CGPA. He added the data was collected from the central police office by using the Right To Information (RTI) Law.

“The support from the government and police is not readily available to the cops when they are injured. Police should have a facility like that of the Combined Military Hospital or should be on the panel of insurance companies so they can get proper treatment,” Anwar criticized. He continued that one police officer from Swabi wounded in an encounter had to pay all the expenses from his pocket when admitted for a long time in a hospital in Islamabad.

Apart from cash amount, the government recruits a member of the family of a martyred cop in the force as assistant sub inspector, support education of his or her kids and provide complete salary till the age of 60. The compensation package was increased in the recent years following an unending series of attacks on policemen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and rest of the country. Over 300 kids and other family members of the martyred cops were not provided jobs in the force till recently after which Chief Minister Pervez Khattak announced they have created special 300 posts for these kids.