Daily Times

Last week, another senior police officer Additional Inspector General (AIG) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ashraf Noor, was martyred that further stretched the list of unsung heroes and their sacrifices.

The police force is facing a daunting situation and a dreaded faceless enemy against all odds with valour and matchless determination. Along with its basic functions to ward and watch, investigation and prosecution, the Pakhtunkhwa police are combating an extraordinary situation in the form of   a protracted War on Terror. Their rank and file offered the supreme sacrifice of laying their lives for the protection of people and restoring peace in the restive province.

From 2008 onwards, the poorly equipped Pakhtunkhwa police almost fought a pitch battle against terrorism perhaps only with the force of their courage. When the state, particularly the parliament, decided on a military operation in Swat, where the military was already deployed, the rest of  the province had to be protected by the police from the blowback and melting down of the terrorists in its cities.

Till the end of 2009, the terrorists created pressure by increasing attacks on Peshawar which was repulsed by the police saving Peshawar from falling into the hands of the Taliban. Since then, the Pakhtunkhwa police lost their finest and bravest officers who led the force from the front.

The image of Syfat Ghayur is still fresh in the memories of people of Pakhtunkhwa when he was leading his force from the front while carrying an AK 47 and firing the terrorists who had attacked Peshawar. It is a force otherwise responsible for war and watch but literally fighting a war declared by the state. Syfat Ghayur, Malak Saad, Kalam Khan are few names, among other senior officers, who were martyred. It is because of the fierce resistance, fight, investigation and prosecution of the terrorists that Pakhtunkhwa police are high on their target list.

From 2006 to 2017, 1,268 policemen martyred included 2 Additional Inspectors General (AIGs), 2 Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs), 6 Superintendent of Police (SPs), 19 Deputy Superintendent (DSPs), 24 Inspectors, 88 Sub Inspectors (SIs), 77 Assistant Sub Inspectors (ASIs), 126 Head Constables (HCs) and 924 Constables (FCs). These statistics almost make one-third of the other armed forces casualties. As compared to the population of the province and strength of the police force it is the highest ratio of the force lost in the line of duty.

It is not merely collateral damage but these men of valour established some of the highest examples of courage and self sacrifice for protecting people along side installations at the cost of their lives. There are numerous instances of policemen jumping over suicide bombers preventing them from reaching the target to save hundreds of lives, thereby pre-empting many terrorists and suicide attacks.

Continuously being in the crosshairs speaks volumes of police role in the war on terror and the blow the police inflicted to the terrorists. If police were not a threat for them, the terrorists would not target a pliant force and would not be vengeful.

But the most astonishing aspect is that this nerve testing situation spanning more than a decade did not sap the resolve and moral of this valour force in the face of constrained resources and unequal national recognition and support not at par with the armed forces.

Ironically, we do not witness national mourning and media hype in the case of police casualty, not even when a senior officer is killed. It is hardly a onetime routine news item on an otherwise sensationalist and politically divided electronic media.

We should remove the traditional biased lens through which we look at this civilian force and acknowledge and eulogise their sacrifices at the national level.

Though the police are fighting the War on Terror, declared by the state as ‘our war’, the province ignored to take care of the martyred family through its meagre resources. The Shuhada (martyred) package was revised in September 2017. The federal government, particularly the interior ministry, apart from the provincial package, should also take initiative at least for the martyred as national recognition of their sacrifices to boost the morale of the rest of the police force.

Similarly, the last two years have been too heavy for the Balochistan police as well wherein senior officers are continuously targeted and martyred. Though, the FC share police power with the police, surprisingly the prime target is the police.

We hardly witness government functionaries offering funeral prayers of senior police officers. Neither are they seen making a beeline to reach their home to express solidarity with the family of the martyred as they do in case of a martyred army soldiers.

Imran Khan, who tirelessly claims credit for the so called reforms and de-politicisation of the Pakhtunkhwa police, is never heard giving credit to the police for fighting the ruthless terrorists. Perhaps, it does not fit into his political scheme of power game.

He claims credit for what were the long established traditions of the Pakhtunkhwa police, mostly shaped by the social ethos of the region. The War and Terror further transformed the police of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa into a pro people force much before the PTI came into power. PTI’s provincial government certainly could have made some contribution. But Imran Khan presents the police prior to the PTI government was a politicised and corrupt institution, clearly indicating his ignorance of the Pakhtunkhwa police’s reality.

Police are a civilian force directly interacting with the public and might be prone to power abuse, in normal circumstances, requiring a check and balance. But in the prevailing situation, we should remove our traditional biased lens through which we look at this civilian force and acknowledge and eulogise their sacrifices at the national level. At least our moral support, if not any other, and recognition can elevate their morale. End

The writer is a political analyst hailing from Swat. Tweets @MirSwat

Published in Daily Times, November 30^th 2017.