By: Musawir Qureshi
We are a strange nation. We fail to appreciate people while they are alive, but when they pass away, we place flowers on their graves, praise their sacrifices, and announce financial assistance for their families. The question is: Why do we fail to value our heroes during their lifetime? Is a person’s death necessary for us to acknowledge their sacrifices?
I recently read a post on a friend’s social media wall. A man was congratulating his friend, a police officer, saying, “Congratulations! The Governor has announced a historic increase in the Shaheed Package for the families of martyrs.” Instead of happiness, however, the police officer’s face reflected sadness. His eyes filled with tears, and he replied with deep anguish:
“This is not a package for martyrs; it is the price being put on our heads.”
He explained that while they were alive, they could not afford to provide their children with quality education, nutritious food, and basic facilities. When their parents fell ill, they had to borrow money from others to pay for their treatment. They spent their entire lives protecting the public, yet they were unable to provide their own families with the comfortable and dignified lives they deserved.
Let us reflect for a moment. Those who stand on roads and at checkpoints for 24 hours a day to protect us, perform their duties despite the constant threat of terrorism, and rush to the front lines to save lives during emergencies—do they not deserve to see their children studying in good schools, their parents receiving medical treatment without financial anxiety, and their families living in peace and security?
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country, the police have made countless sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. Many officers have embraced martyrdom while performing their duties, while others have sustained serious injuries or become disabled. Their families have lost their loved ones. Only those who have experienced such grief and suffering can truly understand the depth of their pain.
Serving in the police is no easy task. It is a profession filled with responsibilities, risks, and sacrifices. When a police officer leaves home for duty, his children wait for his safe return, his wife prays for his protection, and his parents remain anxious about his well-being. Unfortunately, police personnel, particularly those serving in vulnerable areas, frequently become targets of terrorism. May Allah Almighty protect these brave men and women who safeguard our lives.
We salute the sacrifices of our police personnel. Providing financial assistance to the families of martyrs is the government’s responsibility. Their families must receive appropriate compensation packages, pensions, and educational, healthcare, and housing facilities. But the question remains: Should financial benefits be increased only after an officer embraces martyrdom?
The real way to honour our police officers is to provide them with dignity, adequate salaries, and facilities during their lifetime so that they can meet their families’ needs.
If a police officer spends his entire life protecting the public but remains worried about his children’s school fees, his parents’ medical expenses, and household bills, it is not merely a personal problem. It reflects a failure of the system.
The Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and senior police officials must take practical steps to address the problems faced by police personnel. Their salaries and allowances should be revised in accordance with prevailing economic conditions. Officers serving in high-risk areas, in particular, should receive appropriate additional allowances and incentives.
Opportunities for quality education must be ensured for the children of police personnel, while their families should be provided with adequate healthcare and housing facilities. The approval of financial assistance under the newly announced package for police personnel injured or disabled in the line of duty is a commendable step. Similarly, the timely payment of compensation and pensions to the families of martyrs must be ensured.
Providing police personnel with reasonable working hours, adequate rest, leave, and fair opportunities for career advancement is equally important. A state that expects courage, dedication, and sacrifice from its police force must also fulfil its responsibility to protect their rights.
Our misfortune is that we often recognise the worth of people only after their death. We remember a teacher’s services after his passing, acknowledge a journalist’s importance after his martyrdom, and make major announcements for a police officer’s family after his death. Yet, while these individuals are alive, their problems do not receive the attention they deserve.
The truth is that no financial package can compensate for a person’s sacrifice. Such assistance is merely one part of the state’s responsibility towards the bereaved family. Likewise, acknowledging the services of a serving police officer requires more than words of praise. It requires the timely provision of his legitimate rights and entitlements.
The government and relevant authorities must answer a fundamental question: Why are our protectors not provided with the dignity and facilities they deserve during their lifetime? Should they have to wait for a major tragedy or make the ultimate sacrifice before their children can hope for a better future and their parents can receive proper medical treatment?
Police officers are human beings, too. They have dreams, children, parents, and family responsibilities. They also have the right to live with dignity, financial security, and peace of mind. Their sacrifices must not be limited to speeches, certificates of appreciation, and financial packages announced after their martyrdom.
True respect does not mean announcing financial assistance for a police officer’s family after his death. True respect means ensuring that he can live with dignity while he is alive, that his children can look forward to a better future, and that his elderly parents never have to beg for financial assistance to obtain medical treatment.
The Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Faisal Karim Kundi, recently announced and approved several benefits under the Shaheed Package. This is undoubtedly a commendable initiative. However, the time has now come to increase the salaries of police personnel as well. The Governor should grant approval for this measure as soon as possible so that those who protect our lives can also provide their families with better living conditions and financial security.
Value your protectors while they are alive, because great nations do not merely remember their heroes; they also safeguard their rights.
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