Police is considered a relatively tougher profession than any other across the globe. It is the toughest in Pakistan. Apart from routine obligations, the police also continue to serve on the frontline in the so-called war on terror. While the public perception of police in Pakistan may not be something appreciative, the truth is: that police are not liked anywhere. This is evident from attacks on cops and sometimes fierce protests against police in various countries. There are much more for what they could be rightly criticized but the sacrifices police officers make every day deserve sincere recognition. In Pakistan, policing changed drastically over the last two decades. Less or more than two thousand police officers have lost their lives in the line of duty in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) alone. Every country celebrates its fallen cops on different days of the year, holding special events in their honour. In 1962, then-President of the United States, Mr. John F. Kennedy, proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15 falls, as National Police Week. The day in question was established by a joint resolution of Congress which is aimed at paying special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. The observation of the day includes different ceremonies that honour all police officers and remind people about their role in maintaining peace in the country. Besides this, every year on January 9, citizens take the lead to show support on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. On this day, citizens send a note of thanks to their local, county or state police agency, turn their social media channels blue or shine a blue porch light to show their support. They also show their support hashtag, using #NationalLawEnforcementAppreciationDay on social media. Similarly, the Singapore Police Force celebrates its police day on June 3.
Every country celebrates its fallen cops on different days of the year, holding special events in their honour.
It annually hosts a Police Day Parade (PDP) at the Home Team Academy presided by the Minister of Home Affairs or the president of the country. Various police units including the National Police Cadet Corps participate in PDP. In Egypt, 25 January is commemorated in honour of the police. The Day of the Serbian Police and Interior is celebrated on 12 June. In 2015, the then-IGP KP late Nasir Khan Durrani decided to observe August 4 as ‘Youm-i-Shuhada’ annually. It bears mentioning that on August 4, 2010, Frontier Constabulary (FC) commandant Safwat Ghayur became a casualty of a suicide attack. It was in 2017 when IGP Punjab Arif Nawaz ordered the same. The Sindh Police also followed suit. To cut a long story short, all the police departments across the country mourn August 4 as a special day to pay homage to their fallen men. While all the police departments commemorate the day, the modus operandi of mourning varies from department to department. Traditional practices and ways of mourning can be witnessed on this day across Pakistan. In KP, smart contingents of young police personnel present salutes of honour at the graves of their martyred colleagues. Flags are put on the graves. Sometimes, gifts are given to their families. While these traditional practices are well-received by the public, replacing them with some modern ways of mourning can make a positive impact as well as prove effective in softening the image of the police. The flags, floral wreath and other graves-decorating materials, most often are made up of plastic, which in a few days make way to surroundings. This, on such a massive scale and that too on a single day, can add more to our already ailing environment. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Pakistan generates approximately 20 million tons of solid waste annually, of which five to 10 per cent is plastic waste. Besides, taking stock of the fresh and full-pledged wave of terrorism, it can be well argued that the salute-presenting contingents are easily exposed to unpleasant incidents. Top brass of the police across the country in general and in KP in particular can make efforts to make the commemoration more echo-friendly and safer by considering these recommendations. Instead of visiting each & every grave, grand in-door district-wise events can be organized to which friends & families of martyred police officers are invited. Public figures of respective districts could also be requested to present at the event. It is a fact that without effective media coverage, these efforts can not make a lasting impact and so do media persons could also be taken on board for coverage. This annual event can be blessed more by announcing some scholarships for the deserving children of martyred, serving & retired police officers. This is what is practised by a number of police departments across the world. For instance, On August 9, 2021, Ella French of the Chicago Police Department was shot dead during a traffic stop. Upon Officer French’s death, in 2022, the Chicago Police Foundation created the Ella French Scholarship. Similar steps will look more professional and would help garner attention of both print & electronic media consequently improving the image of police. Moreover, conducting speech competitions among the students at the district level is not a bad idea either.
The writer is a police officer with an interest in local social issues and international affairs. He tweets @Numanbacha20