Daily Times

There have been many casualties of the war on terror — probably the most affected being those who belong to the country’s security forces. One of these many uniformed victims was an outstanding two-star rank Additional Inspector General of Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Safwat Ghayur, who was killed in a suicide bombing a year ago at the Frontier Constabulary Chowk on August 4, 2010. Known as a valiant police officer and a staunch advocate of the war on terror, Safwat Ghayur suffered a fate reserved for all those men and women who have been on the frontlines of the struggle against jihadi extremism.

KP has been one of the worst hit provinces in the country, with some 417 policemen killed and some 1,042 injured in 49 suicide blasts since 2006 alone. These are gutting figures as they reveal just how limited protection is for our police force. Too many suicide attacks have occurred at police check posts — not just in KP but also in the entire country — with men in uniform being targeted by militants because they represent the nation’s fight against extremism. Militancy is raging and with it comes a do-or-die situation for the police force who have to enforce strict security measures for the protection of the civilians against targeted attacks, resulting in many of them becoming victims themselves because of their close proximity to the frontlines.

It is time the government take some steps to better the situation for those who have and continue to lay down their lives to counter the terror threat. With so many of their own dying a savage death, there is no doubt that law enforcement agencies in Pakistan suffer from low morale and lack the will to fight a shadowy enemy. Army operations may have coined temporary successes against the militants but they have not wiped out the threat. As long as extremism continues to sweep the land, our ‘sheriffs’ and their ‘deputies’ will continue to die. *