PESHAWAR, Oct 16: The beheading of senior police officer Khurshid Khan by militants in Peshawar on Sunday night is not only a serious setback to the government but has also created unrest among policemen deployed in rural areas on the outskirts of the capital city.
Many in the department blame senior officers for it, saying they ignored the need for providing timely backup to the personnel busy in the encounter with militants.
Requesting anonymity, several policemen deployed in the rural areas told Dawn on Tuesday said that there was no planning for providing backup to personnel carrying out an operation, especially during nighttime, and as a result, the situation became very uncertain with personnel present on the spot taking decisions on their own.
They said the best way was to save lives because arrival of additional force in the prevailing situation was a mere dream because senior officers didn’t bother to step out at night.
Referring to different encounters, which took place in the limits of Badhber, especially in Shaikhan and Sarband areas, policemen said they had asked for backup on many occasions but to no avail as the relevant officers avoided taking the risk of making movements in darkness.
“Everyone knows that rural areas are infested with militants and their informers but the government is avoiding taking drastic steps against them. The blast at Mattani Bazaar, killing of bomb disposal unit inspector Hukam Khan, blast at Scheme Chowk Badbher, kidnapping of six people on main Mattani Road and rocket firing at Shaikhan village took place during the last few months but no planning has been made to arrest those involved in them,” an official said.
He said billions of rupees worth of funds had been allocated but policemen continued to take shelter in crumbling buildings in restive areas, including Mattani, Ghaziabad, Shaikhan and Mashokhel.
Police officials repeatedly claimed to have controlled the situation, claiming there was no sanctuaries of militants in parts of Peshawar. However, the Sunday militant attack is enough to reject them all.
Khurshid Khan is the second SP after Abdul Kalam Khan, who laid down his life in the line of duty.
Abdul Kalam Khan was killed in a suicide attack in March this year at Peshtakhara area of Peshawar.
After the death of Abdul Kalam, no officer was ready to take the charge as SP (rural). However, Shafiullah Khan was given the charge, who managed to control the situation to great extent but after his transfer to Mardan, there was no one available to fill the post. As a result, DSP Khurshid Khan was promoted to SP as he also had vast experience in the rural areas. He, however, was killed by militants.
The incidents pertaining to the beheading in such a way is a big challenge for police and the government is expected to take stern action against all those, who failed to perform their duties in this respect.
Only condemnation and review meetings on part of senior police officers in air-conditioned offices will not serve the purpose as policemen in the field seem to have lost confidence in case such incidents continue to happen.
Several policemen said they had taken oath to do duty at all costs but it didn’t mean to lose lives uselessly.
According to them, it will be a matter of satisfaction for them if they capture several militants alive or kill them.
“The killing of BDU expert was also a major setback for police and it was a suitable time for government to take decisive action against militants,” an official said.
When contacted, DSP (rural) Fazal Maula Khan said he, too, suffered bullet injuries while fighting against militants and SP Khurshid was taking rest.
He said three parties of militants shouting slogans of Allah-o-Akbar had attacked police post where personnel bravely fought but smoke and excessive firing forced them to step out.
“I was busy shifting the injured that the SP entered the post without consulting him and suffered a rocket shell,” he recalled.
He said Nadeem Abbas, who had escaped from police custody on University Road, had been organising militants in rural areas of Peshawar.
“My own official vehicle had also caught fire after coming under a grenade attack,” he said, adding that the best way to avoid such incidents was that paramilitary forces check movement of militants at the city’s different entry points.