Shangla constable Qayyum Khan was martyred on Sunday when a planted bomb exploded in Manga Khandao, in Tehsil Chakisar, Shangla district.
Qayyum Khan, who was posted at Martung police station, was going back to duty after leave. He left his home in Manga at about 9am and was riding towards Choga when his motorcycle hit a planted bomb at Manga Khandao. The blast killed him on the spot.
He was from Manga in Tehsil Chakisar. He was buried in the local cemetery after funeral prayers with full state honours.
After the blast, police from Chakisar, Choga and other units cordoned off the area and started a large search-and-clearance operation.
Police said the explosive had been planted beside the path the constable was taking and went off as his motorcycle approached.
The Shangla constable was the latest police loss
The attack has left residents grieving, angry and anxious, and has deepened the sense of insecurity in the area.
The Express Tribune reported that the blast took place on Sunday morning as the constable travelled to duty.
Qayyum Khan is the latest in a long line of police losses in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The scale of those losses came out at a briefing at Governor House in Peshawar, where Home Secretary Amjad Ali Khan said 1,003 armed forces personnel, 627 police personnel and 808 civilians had been killed over the past two years, while 3,788 terrorists were killed in security operations.
The federal government imposed emergency and governor’s rule in K-P on October 11, citing disagreements with the previous provincial administration over counterterrorism policy.
A Rs70bn plan to rebuild the police
The provincial administration plans to spend Rs70bn a year on the police and the Counter-Terrorism Department. The police will receive Rs59.8bn and the CTD Rs10.3bn, split between infrastructure and procurement.
K-P plans to spend Rs70bn on police and the CTD as part of its counterterrorism push, and Shehbaz briefed Nawaz on K-P security and the economy after the new plan was unveiled.
The plan also includes faceless anti-terrorism courts, so that witnesses, prosecutors and judges are protected. The KP home secretary said witnesses in terrorism cases were reluctant to come forward because of security concerns.
KP police received 10 ambulances and 8 armoured vehicles last month, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan have agreed to settle old boundary disputes through talks. Shangla itself was in the news last month when two people died in a staircase collapse during an anti-encroachment drive.
The home secretary said only 3.2 per cent of the budget in the merged districts was allocated for security. He said the force was short of more than 10,000 personnel, and that inadequate infrastructure, training and modern equipment had weakened its capacity. Only 12 per cent of the force has anti-drone systems.
What happens next
Police in Shangla are continuing the search-and-clearance operation in the Manga Khandao area. No group has claimed the attack so far, and police have not yet said who planted the device.
The wider test for the province is whether the Rs70bn plan and the faceless courts can protect police and witnesses. Governor Kundi has said police are at the forefront of the fight against terrorism and must be given adequate weapons, ammunition, equipment and facilities.
For the family of Constable Qayyum Khan, and for the people of Chakisar, the immediate question is simpler: whether the men who planted the bomb are caught.
Frequently asked questions
Who was the constable killed in Shangla?
Police Constable Qayyum Khan, posted at Martung police station. He belonged to the Manga area of Tehsil Chakisar in Shangla district.
How did the blast happen?
He was riding his motorcycle towards Choga at about 9am on Sunday when it hit a planted bomb at Manga Khandao. He died on the spot.
What did police do after the attack?
Police from Chakisar, Choga and other units cordoned off the area and began a large search-and-clearance operation.
How many police have been killed in K-P?
Home Secretary Amjad Ali Khan said 627 police personnel were killed over the past two years, along with 1,003 armed forces personnel and 808 civilians.
What is the province doing about it?
The provincial administration plans to spend Rs70bn a year on the police and the Counter-Terrorism Department, and to set up faceless anti-terrorism courts to protect witnesses, prosecutors and judges.
