Martyrs Day marked across KP Rich tributes paid to fallen heroes

PESHAWAR: Rich tributes were paid to fallen heroes of the police force in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the rest of the country on Martyrs Day on Sunday. Contingents of KP Police presented salutes at the graves of fallen heroes in different districts of the province.

Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Khan, Capital City Police Officer Qasim Ali Khan, Senior Superintendent of Police Kashif Zulfiqar and other officers laid floral wreaths at the grave of martyred commandant of the Frontier Constabulary, Safwat Ghayur, who was martyred in a suicide attack on August 4, 2010.

His death anniversary is observed as Martyrs Day every year across the country. Blood donation camps were held in different districts while Quran Khwani was held at mosques in different police lines. A number of senior and junior officers visited the families of the martyrs to pay their tributes.

The main function was held in Peshawar where Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was the chief guest.He said peace was restored to the country as a result of the sacrifices of the martyrs and ghazis.

Gandapur said restoration of peace and maintaining law and order was the priority of the government. He added the government released funds for various needs of the KP Police to better fight terrorists and criminals.

The chief minister announced children of the martyrs will be recruited as assistant sub-inspectors for which quota has been approved by the government. He announced that 20 percent of the traffic fines will be allocated for the welfare of the children of martyrs and ghazis.

Gandapur said those who are carrying out attacks should know that it was not jihad but jahalat (ignorance). He said that killing one’s own Muslim brothers and sisters was not jihad. The chief minister asked the terrorists to come out of this jahalat. He vowed to fight against the terrorists and criminals till last.

He continued that the government will continue supporting the police force that was fighting for restoration of peace amid several challenges. He assured that the government will provide more funds for education and health of the families of martyrs while their issues will be resolved on priority basis. He added that a special cell was being set up in the Home Department for the families of martyrs.

He announced the provision of plots of land for the children of martyrs of police and other departments who laid down their lives in the line of duty. IGP Akhtar Hayat Khan said the day was observed every year to pay tributes to our martyrs and to take care of their families. He said the martyrs were from us and they will never be forgotten.

“Over 2,080 policemen of the KP Police sacrificed their lives for the restoration of peace. The KP Police is the bravest force. I am proud to be leading it,” said IGP. He thanked the chief minister and government for providing funds for later technology, equipment and ammunition for the force.

The IGP said the issue of recruitment quota of heirs of the martyrs was taken up with the chief minister who agreed to increase it. KP Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry paid tributes to the martyrs and ghazis of the KP Police and other forces.

Additional Inspector General of Police Mohammad Ali Babakhel gave a presentation about the sacrifices of the KP Police. He said in the last two years a number of attacks on the force, especially in southern districts, were thwarted by cops.

KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, IG FC Major General Noor Wali Khan and former inspector generals presented bouquet to the children of the martyrs.

Farah, daughter of Shaheed DSP Gul Mohammad, and son of Mir Zaman paid tributes to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country.Tributes were paid to the families of Shaheed SP Ijaz Khan, constable Zahid Gul, SI Tajmeer Shah, Shaheed HC Fayaz Uddin, ghazi DSP Muhammad Naseem and ghazi constable Nawaz Khan.

The Khyber Pakhtun- khwa Police has sacrificed 1716 policemen from the rank of constable up to additional inspector general since 2006.The total number of fallen heroes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 1970 is 2085, out of which 369 were martyred till 2006 while 1716 lost their lives in the last 18 years.

An increase has already been witnessed in attacks on police in the last few years. Around 222 policemen have been martyred in different kinds of attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since January last year.

Most of these cops were martyred in attacks carried out in Peshawar, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan districts. The total casualties of the force last year stood at 175 while 47 policemen have lost lives during the current year. Last year, over 85 policemen were martyred in a single attack on the headquarters of Peshawar Police in January.

The worst year for the KP Police was 2009 when 207 policemen, including one SP, three DSPs, four inspectors, 18 sub-inspectors and 16 ASIs were martyred in different terrorist attacks all over the province.

According to the record of the KP Police, 28 policemen were martyred in attacks in 2006, 107 in 2007, 176 in 2008, 207 in 2009, 101 in 2010 and 148 in 2011. The number of the fallen policemen came down to 94 in 2012 but increased again to 133 in 2013 and 108 in 2014.

As many as 61 policemen were martyred in KP in 2015, 74 in 2016, 36 in 2017, 30 in 2018, 38 in 2019, 34 in 2020. As many as 44 policemen lost lives in 2021, 56 in 2022, 175 in 2023 while 47 are martyred during the current year so far.

Abid Ali, the then DIG Bannu Region was the first senior officer who embraced martyrdom in December 2006. He was shot dead along with his driver by armed men on Kohat Road near Matani in Peshawar district.After him Safwat Ghayur, Muhammad Ashraf Noor, Malik Muhammad Saad, a number of SSPs, SPs, DSPs and junior cops have sacrificed their lives in the last two decades.

The huge majority of those martyred in the last many years is that of constables who played the front line role in operations, encounters and while performing duty at checkpoints, posts and police stations.

Meanwhile, walks and events were organized across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday to pay tribute to the fallen cops on Police Martyrs Day.The day was marked in Hazara division to pay homage to personnel and officers who laid down their lives in the line of duty.

In Mansehra, Quran Khwani was held at police lines where District Police Officer Shafiullah Khan Gandapur and other cops donated blood.The personnel and officers also visited the graves of the martyred across the district and offered Fateha Khwani for the departed souls.

In Lower Kohistan, a ceremony was held at Police Lines in Pattan where District Police Officer Mohammad Umar and policemen offered Fateha for the police personnel and officers who laid their lives in the line of duty.

In Torghar, a ceremony was also held to pay homage to police officers and personnel who laid their lives in line of duty.Deputy Commissioner Ziaur Rehman Marwat and District Police Officer Mukhtar Shah laid floral wreaths at the memorial of the martyred at police lines.

In Hangu, a ceremony was held at the University Campus hall where speeches were delivered and praise was heaped on the fallen cops for their bravery and resilience against the terrorists and militants during the war on terrorism.

In Kalaya, the speakers, including Deputy Commissioner Tayyab Abdullah, District Police Officer Nazir Khan, Orakzai Scouts Commandant Colonel Syed Sadat Hussain, Tehsil chairman Mufti Muhammad Tahir and elders said that they were proud of the sacrifices rendered by the cops for the protection of their people.

They said that the police was the frontline force and it bravely fought the war on terror. They said that the day was being marked to pay homage to the fallen heroes of police.In Bajaur, the district police organised an event at Bajaur Police Lines to observe the Martyrs’ Day.

The event was attended by Bajaur Scouts Commandant Brig Mohsin Javed, Deputy Commissioner Bajaur Muhammad Anwarul Haq, police martyrs’ families, civil and police officers, journalists, and civil society activists.

Acting District Police Officer Naveed Iqbal and other guests visited the Martyrs’ Monument, offered salute, and laid floral wreaths there. A walk was also arranged to honour the martyrs’ sacrifices.

In North Waziristan district, the main ceremony for the Police Martyrs’ Day was held at the Jirga Hall in Miranshah, the headquarters of the district.The event was attended by District Police Officer Rokhanzeb, Brig Faisal Naseer, Major Usama, Major Shahid, ADC Samiullah, and Mir Ali tehsil Mayor Ahmed Saeed. A guard of honour was presented at the Martyrs’ Monument.

DPO Rokhanzeb and other speakers paid tribute to the police martyrs, emphasising on their sacrifices for the country.The ceremony concluded with the distribution of gifts to the martyrs’ families and children, followed by special prayers for the martyrs and the country’s peace and security.

In Lower Chitral, the speakers at a gathering lauded the sacrifices of police and vowed to extend all possible support to the force in the face of challenges.Deputy Commissioner Mohsin Iqbal, Commandant of Chitral Scouts Colonel Bilal and DPO Iftikhar Shah attended the ceremony.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Inayatullah Faizi, Maulana Khaliquzaman, Maulana Israruddin and others paid tribute to martyrs cops for their sacrifices. MINGORA: A function was held here on Sunday to pay homage to the fallen heroes of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police in connection with the Police Martyr Day.

Regional Police Officer, Malakand Range, Mohammad Ali Khan was the chief guest at the event held at the Police Training School. The families of the police martyrs also attended the ceremony.

District Police Officer Zahidullah, Deputy Commissioner Shahzad Mahbood and other officials were also in attendance.Speaking on the occasion, RPO Mohammad Ali Khan paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the police and said that the cops and officers laid down their lives for the restoration of peace. He said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was still facing a security challenge.