PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police on Saturday observed Martyrs Day (Youm-i-Shuhada) to commemorate the sacrifices their colleagues offered during over a decade-long war against terrorism.

The day started with prayers for the martyred police officials in mosques, while senior police officers laid floral wreaths on the martyrs’ graves all over the province.

In the provincial capital, KP police chief Mohammad Tahir and city police chief Qazi Jamilur Rehman attended a service at the grave of then Commandant Frontier Constabulary Safwat Ghayyur, who was martyred in a suicide attack on August 4, 2010. They placed floral wreaths on the grave and offered fateha.

Blood donation camps organised in several cities

Quran Khawni was held at Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines, which was attended by the city police chief and other senior police officials and later Jamilur Rehman also attended a function at the Martyrs Monument and placed floral wreaths at the memorial to honour the fallen cops.

The main event of the day was scheduled to take place in the Nishtar Hall, Peshawar, later in the evening and caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Dost Mohammad Khan, KP police chief and other senior officers were due to attend it.

Also a blood donation camp was set up at the police lines where a large number cops donated blood. Jamiulr Rehman said on the occasion that Peshawar police had offered huge sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and they would never hesitate to do so in future.

He said that the city police were the frontline force in the war on terror.

The Martyrs Day was also observed in the divisional and districts headquarters across the province.

In Masehra, civil society, traders and police took out a rally to mark sacrifices of the police and personnel of other law-enforcement agencies.

Mansehra DPO Abdul Rasheed, traders body president Shohaib Khan and children of a local college took part in the rally. The traders showered the rally with flower petals at various places to express solidarity with the police. A rally was also taken out in Judbah, the district headquarters of Torghar.

In Shangla, an event was organised at the police lines which was attended by DPO Rasool Shah, officers, civil society members and families of the martyred cops. A rally was held at the district headquarters Battagram to pay homage to the martyred police officials. It was led by Battagram DPO and also attended by students of private schools.

In Dera Ismail Khan, a function was held at the district assembly hall to pay homage to the police martyrs, which was attended by commissioner Javed Marwat, Gomal University vice-chancellor Mohammad Sarwar Chaudhry, RPO Dar Ali Khattak and a number of police personnel and family members of the martyrs.

In Kohat, civil, military and police officers gathered to pay tribute to the martyrs at an event, which was attended by district nazim Nasim Afridi, station commander Brig Javed Dost Chandio, DIG Ijaz Khan and DPO Sohail Khalid.

Karak police also arranged a blood donation camp and prayer services for the martyrs and DPO Iftikharuddin placed floral wreaths on the graves of martyred cops.

In Chitral, Quran Khawni was held at the police lines’ mosque. District nazim Maghfirat Shah and DPO Furqan Bilal were present on the occasion. They also placed floral wreaths on the Yadgar-i-Shuhada at the police lines.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Shah said that the peace in Chitral was due to the supreme sacrifices of thepoliceofficers and jawans.

In Timergara, a function was arranged at the police lines, which was attended by area elders, retired police officers, families of martyrs, newly-elected MPAs and councillors.

A walk was also arranged by the police and Timergara traders’ body where the participants were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans regarding bravery of police martyrs and tribute to their sacrifices. Also in the day, 100 police officials donated blood at the DHQ hospital, Timergara.

In Upper Dir, Youm-i-Shuhada was observed to pay tribute to the fallen police personnel.

Speaking at a function in this regard, DPO Mian Naseeb Jan, Pak Army’s Maj Umer Hayat, Dir tehsil nazim Mir Makhzan Din and other speakers said that the personnel of police and other forces had sacrificed their lives for the sake of motherland.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2018