KARACHI, June 22: Eleven policemen lost their lives in separate incidents of terrorism and targeted killing during the first half of this year. Five policemen were killed in the early morning attack at Gulistan-i-Jauhar police station in April.
Three died in the attack on the corps commanders cavalcade, while the police guard of the TPO Clifton died in the bomb blast outside PACC last month. Two police officials of Karachi operation, Inspector Taufiq Zahid and Haider Baig, were gunned down in target killing by unknown men in separate incidents.
Whenever a policeman is killed in the line of duty, compensation and other similar measures are announced by the government. The police department also announce jobs for the immediate relatives of the victims.
The family of the late George Ghulam is one such family. Fortunately for George's widow, she has enough family support of her in-laws that she is not faced with financial constraints.
George Ghulam was among the five policemen who were killed in the attack on the Gulistan-i-Jauhar police station in April. Sub-inspector Umeed Ali Meerani, head constable Ashfaq, constable Ismail, Sarfaraz, and George Ghulam died in the early morning attack at the Gulistan-i-Jauhar police station.
Unknown armed gunmen had sprayed the Gulistan-i-Jauhar police station with bullets early Sunday morning on April 4, killing five policemen on the spot. "Though financial compensation cannot be a substitute for what we have lost, we are grateful to the police department for providing the financial dues and other benefits," says the victim's father.
Trying to remain calm and composed, the victim's wife, Rita George, has not been able to overcome the loss of her husband. The victim's two school-going children, Fahad and Farhan, still ask questions about their father. When he would return home, is the hardest question to answer, the victim's father said.
The family lives in Drigh Road, get monthly salary of George by the police station. The victim's family would continue to receive his salary till the age of retirement. GP fund and other benefits would also be passed on to the family, Gulshan TPO Abdul Khaliq Shaikh said.
To a query, the victim's nephew said that town police officers and other police officials visited their house, to condole the death, but not the IG Sindh or DIG. At least in the George family no one is interested in joining the police force, as all the family members are well settled.
The victim's children are too young. The family has received compensation cheques of Rs300,000 and Rs140,000 under the head of group insurance policy. The families of the rest of the Gulistan-i-Jauhar police station victims are based in Punjab.
The civilians who fall victim to terrorism do not receive government compensation so promptly. On June 10, three policemen died when the cavalcade of the Karachi corps commander was ambushed on main Clifton Road.
Sub-inspector Hasan Ashgar of the Darakshan police station was returning home after completing his duty. Head constable Nazeer Husain and constable Liaquat Gujjar were headed from Shireen Jinnah Colony to the TPO SITE office.
The two police officials were on duty at the TPO SITE Imran Shaukat. Liaquat Gujjar has left behind a three-month-old infant, a wife and his father to mourn his death.
Liaquat's father is proud that his son died a martyr, I have no regrets, he told ASP Imran Shaukat when he called him to condole his son's death on June 10. Liaquat Gujjar suffered 22 bullet wounds while Nazeer Husain received 18 bullet wounds. Hasan Asghar had also suffered multiple bullet wounds.
Police said that the entry point of the bullets were small, but the exit points were very large suggesting that they had suffered injuries from a G-3 rifle. Constable Jehangir died in the car bomb blast outside the PACC. He was on guard duty of Clifton TPO Munir Shaikh who was also wounded in the blast.
Jehangir was scheduled to get married in his native town in Punjab. In this connection his leave was also approved by his TPO. Instead his body was sent from the so-called "city of lights" to his peaceful native village, remarked one of his associates.
Inspector Taufiq Zahid and Haider Baig, active players of Karachi operation, were killed in the target killing. Taufiq was gunned down inside a mosque just before the commencement of Friday prayers on April 23.
He had came to the city in connection with a court case hearing. He was posted in Sukkur. Haider Baig was the latest police official to be gunned down by unknown men in Gulshan town.
The victim left two children and a widow to mourn his death. During his last days he was living in an apartment in the limits of Sachal police and used to spend his past time gossiping with the chowkidar of the apartment he was living in.
