Special prayers and ceremonies were held to honour policemen who laid down their lives in the line of duty as the country observed Police Martyrs Day on Sunday. The day is marked every year on August 4, which is the death anniversary of Frontier Constabulary inspector general Safwat Ghayyur, who was martyred in a suicide attack near his office in 2010. President Arif Alvi, in a statement, said that the nation was “indebted to martyrs who laid down their lives for security of the country”. “Despite difficult situation and limited resources, the police have played an exemplary role in the establishment of peace and protecting the lives of people,” Radio Pakistan quoted him as saying. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa also paid tribute to police officers who sacrificed their lives while serving in the force and also expressed solidarity with their families. “Salute to martyrs of Pakistan Police & their families on Police Martyrs Day. Pakistan Police over the years has proved to be a strong professional force. Pakistan Police has made phenomenal contributions alongside other security forces in counter-terrorism operations,” the Inter-Services Public Relations’ official Twitter account quoted him as saying. Interior Minister Ijaz Shah lauded the services of the martyred police officers and said their sacrifices were a “testimony to the fact that Pakistan is in safe hands”. “Police [are] always ready to lay down their lives for dignity and survival of the country,” Shah added. Special events and vigils were held in all provincial capitals, where police chiefs and government officials paid tributes to the martyrs for their efforts to combat terrorism, besides ensuring security of the people.