LAW-enforcement officers in Pakistan work in an intensely hostile environment, facing lethal levels of violence on a regular basis. And amongst the most dangerous jobs within the law-enforcement framework is that of the bomb disposal personnel. Across the country, these brave individuals put their lives on the line to defuse IEDs and other explosives planted by militants. Amongst this rare breed of public servants was Phunal Khan Bangulzai, who fell in the line of duty on Wednesday. The officer was killed while defusing a landmine in Balochistan’s Sobatpur district after he had just defused another device. Constable Bangulzai’s sacrifice — along with that of other officers who served bomb disposal squads countrywide — must not be forgotten and those who have survived them must not be abandoned by the state.
Despite the immense risks BDS personnel face, these units are treated with a shocking nonchalance. For example, most units are underfunded and under-equipped, while the salaries of most officers are pitifully low. Yet they march on, despite the odds and lack of gratitude. For example, KP’s bomb disposal unit alone has defused thousands of IEDs over the past few years, which translates to thousands of lives saved, even though they have lost men, such as Hukam Khan, in the process. There have been some improvements, eg the introduction of sniffer dogs and robots, mostly with foreign help, but there remains room for improvement. For example, in Sindh expensive bomb disposal equipment is reportedly sitting idle due to lack of repairs. The provincial governments must ensure BDS units are functioning in all districts, and that their personnel have the equipment and training to protect themselves. Salaries should be respectable and in cases of death, compensation packages to the heirs of the fallen officers should be sufficient and disbursed without delay. But most of all, there must be recognition at the national level of the services of men such as Phunal Khan, Hukam Khan and many others at the forefront of the fight against militancy.
Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2016
