News Desk |
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday ordered an “immediate inquiry” into the murder of Superintendent of Police (SP) Tahir Khan Dawar.
Taking to Twitter, PM Khan said: “Have followed the shocking tragedy of the murder of SP Tahir Khan Dawar and ordered Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government to coordinate with Islamabad police in holding an inquiry immediately.”
Inspector General (IG) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Salahuddin Mehsud said that it was not possible to confirm the authenticity of SP Dawar’s death news at present.
The premier added that Minister of State for Interior Shahryar Afridi has been tasked to “oversee it with an urgency and present the report” to PM Khan.
Have followed the shocking tragedy of the murder of SP Tahir Khan Dawar & ordered KP govt to coordinate with Islamabad police in holding an inquiry immediately. MOS Interior Shahryar Afridi has been tasked to oversee it with an urgency & present the report to me.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 15, 2018
The background of this Heinous Crime
The Superintendent of Police (SP) Rural Peshawar, Tahir Khan Dawar, who went missing from Islamabad last month, has been killed in Afghanistan. SP Dawar was kidnapped from G-10/4 sector of Islamabad on Oct 26.
On Tuesday, a picture allegedly of SP Dawar went viral on social media in which he could be seen brutally murdered; the body said to be of the officer was found in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.
Read more: Kidnapped from Pakistan, murdered in Afghanistan: The curious case of SP…
The police authorities and federal government, however, on Tuesday denied the reports of his murder in Afghanistan. State Minister for Interior Sheheryar Afridi refused to comment over the veracity of social media reports, as he said it was a sensitive matter. “It is a matter of national security and someone’s life, and cannot be discussed on an open forum,” Afridi said.
Referring to the alleged pictures of SP Dawar, Mr. Afridi commented, “Doctored pictures and fake reports are being spread these days.” The picture shared on social media shows a man dressed in a pair of black trousers and a maroon shirt with a piece of paper on his chest. The face and arms of the man, all covered in blood, reveal that the person had been tortured to death.
Media should play a professional role and instead of quoting ‘sources’ wait for the concerned officials’ statement regarding the incident as it directly impacts the already grief-stricken family of the officer.
The piece of paper on his chest, referring to SP Dawar with his first name, reads,” cop who had arrested and killed many militants has met his fate.” The note is written in Pashto language and carries the name of ‘Wilayat Khorasan’; a term militant organization Daesh which calls itself Islamic State (IS) uses for the Pak-Afghan region. The note also threatens to do the same to other people if they are not cautious enough.
Inspector General (IG) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Salahuddin Mehsud said that it was not possible to confirm the authenticity of SP Dawar’s death news at present. He said they were in contact with the Afghan government and all relevant institutions and were investigating the incident thoroughly.
Read more: PTM finalizes representatives for reconciliatory Jirga; demands a ‘Truth and Reconciliation…
Brother of SP Dawar, Ahmaeduddin, told the reporters that victim was posted in Peshawar, and was in Islamabad for personal engagements. He went out on Oct 26, his family lost contact with the police officer as his phone went off at around 7: 45 pm. His wife right away reached out to the police and informed them of his disappearance as family suspected he was kidnapped.
Mr. Dawar belonged to North Waziristan and was recently posted as Rural SP in Peshawar. Before that, he had served as DSP Fakirabad. He also served in Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and was posted at the Peshawar International Airport. Tahir Dawar, known as a vocal police officer, had survived two suicide attacks while he was posted in Bannu when militancy was at its peak.
Read more: Murder of an ordinary man with extraordinary political significance
Social media users and some analysts apparently are sure that the picture is true and that he has been tortured to death in Afghanistan while concerned authorities refuse to confirm or deny the news. This has led to confusion and speculations among media outlets as they disseminate different news related to the same incident, regardless of the pain and suffering of the family of the police officer.
Media should play a professional role and instead of quoting ‘sources’ wait for the concerned officials’ statement regarding the incident as it directly impacts the already grief-stricken family of the officer.