PESHAWAR: Lying on a rickety wooden bed in his house situated in Peshawar's Pokh Jumat area, Constable Mushtaq tears up as he recalls the moment that ended his job and mobility; the day that 15 bullets were pounded into his body.

On a fateful July morning last year, terrorists launched a brazen attack on a police mobile that changed his life. Four of Mushtaq's colleagues were killed but he survived, against all odds, despite being seriously wounded.

"I was hit with several bullets on my body but I did not feel anything as I was firing back," he says, his voice thick with emotion.

"It was only until I took a bullet on my head that I lost consciousness and woke up several days later in a hospital."

Constable Mushtaq pictured in this photo with his daughter. — Photo by author

Almost a year has gone by since the incident but Mushtaq's injuries haven't showed signs of going away. His left arm was severely injured but has been secured with an iron rod as he suffered broken bones in the attack. With bullets still lodged in his chest and throat, mobility is still very difficult and although the bullet in his head was removed, others remain in his body.

Soon after the attack, Mushtaq moved to a rented house with his wife and three children having sold his previous home for a sum of Rs700,000. The exorbitant hospital bills for treatment left him with no savings.

"Now I have no more money left; what will I do? How do I send my children to school, how do I care for my family?" he cries.

Constable Mushtaq's children pictured in this photo. — Photo by author

Mushtaq used to be a member of the province's 1,000-member strong Special Police Officer (SPO) unit. Salaried at Rs15,000 a month, this force performs the same duties as regular policemen but does not enjoy job security as its members are hired on a contract basis.

After the attack, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had announced compensation of Rs100,000 for Mushtaq. However, that is yet to be translated into reality.

Poorly trained and ill-equipped, policemen across the country are the first line of defence in civil spaces. They often make headlines for being caught in the cross hairs during raids or encounters with militants, or when their convoys are attacked militants.

Just this year, Peshawar has lost at least 20 police officers. Since 2012, the deaths of at least 250 policemen have been reported, with many more injured in the line of duty.

Data reveals a downward trend in the number of police killings over the past four years. At least 203 were killed in 2012, followed by 126 in 2013, 102 in 2014 and 27 in 2015.

There has been a 70 per cent decrease in police killings in the first six months of 2015 as compared to the same time period last year.

Additional Inspector General Fida Hussain says all policeman killed till the end of last year have been paid compensation money from the 'Shuhuda Package', which has a total sum of Rs3.3 million.

However, several disbursements are yet to be made owing to legal and procedural complications.

“The disbursement of money to the legal heir is made after a concerned court issues a succession certificate," Hussain says, explaining the delay. He adds that 25 cases of compensation payment are pending with authorities for deceased policeman, while five remain in process for injured officials.

He says the disbursement of compensation for policemen is determined along the following lines:

• Mildly injured policemen receive Rs50,000
• Severely injured policemen receive Rs100,000
• Heirs of deceased policemen receive Rs1 million

Fida Hussain says the amount paid after a policeman's death was initially put at Rs500,000, but was later doubled.

He also shared that the government is working towards including special police officers like Mushtaq into a scheme that facilitates regular policemen's families to enter the force if they are killed.

When this reporter asked Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Ijaz Ahmed Khan about Mushtaq's pitiable state, the official denied knowing him. After being apprised, Ijaz said the department will deal with Mushtaq's case in accordance with the law.

A medical board had referred Mushtaq to Karachi's Aga Khan University Hospital for treatment. But having used up all his savings on previous medical expenses, he is unable to foot the cost.

Mushtaq however does not despair and has not given up despite his circumstances.

"My battle against terrorists isn't over yet," he says.