Pakistani internal security (catch all)

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An obituary on the fifth anniversary of a senior pakistani police officer, Safwat Ghayur, a native of Peshawar, murdered by the Taliban, when he was commanding the Frontier Constabulary. The author is Hamid Hussain, our irregular contributor and the quote has been edited from 16k to 10k to fit.

August 04 was the fifth death anniversary of Safwat Ghayur. An army officer who met Safwat first time described him as “a lean man, with loosely fitted clothes, a hint of pattas (a pushtu word for hair coming down over the neck) peeping out from behind his beret, with a swagger in his gait, a sultry smile and a twinkle in his eye. He was a good looking person radiating confidence and authority”. This is the best description of a fine police officer and a gentleman who laid down his life to secure peace of his beloved city. He was killed in an attack on his vehicle by a suicide bomber in Peshawar on August 04, 2010 and police lost one of its finest and bravest officers.

Safwat spent most of career in his hometown of Peshawar and started his fight against militancy in 1990s long before the rest of the country was aware of the danger. In 1997, he spearheaded the ‘Operation Garbage Dump’ to tackle foreign militants in Jalozai camp near Peshawar. In the last few years of his career, he was at the forefront of the battle against militants encroaching on the city from all directions. Peshawar was literally under siege from militants based in surrounding Khyber, Mohmand and Darra Adam Khel tribal territories. He never blinked and stood up with an ill equipped and poorly trained force against hard core militants. This was the time when more than half of the KPK police was equipped with World War II vintage .303 rifles while militants were brandishing AK-47s, submachine guns and rocket launchers. He was always at the front risking his life to protect the citizens of Peshawar.

Safwat was from a well respected and well connected family. His close relatives include army officers, civil servants, ambassadors, politicians, ministers, governor etc. He could have easily opted for a less risky and safe appointment but he decided to be in the trenches where the battle for the survival of Pakistan is being fought. He was one of the few officers whose heart and mind was in right place. There was no confusion and ambiguity. He saw militants as a clear and present danger and carried his duties with vigor and dedication.

As DIG Peshawar Range and CCPO Peshawar, he worked closely with Frontier Corps to secure the city. Safwat was not the kind of guy who would take a back seat. During an apex committee meeting which was chaired by Governor of KPK and his cousin Owais Ghani, he announced that he had subordinated himself to Inspector General of Frontier Corps (IGFC) and that all further instructions for him should be routed through IGFC. In September 2009, he was relieved of his duties due to medical reasons under intense pressure from his family and friends. However, a restless soul like Safwat could not be tamed and barely two months later when the opportunity came to be in the frontlines with his soldiers, he jumped in the fray again.

In December 2009, he was appointed Commandant of Frontier Constabulary. He was frustrated due to the fact that a large number of his force was deployed on protection duties of VIPs. He approached everyone who would listen and with the help of IGFC, he was able to get back about 40 platoons of Frontier Constabulary. Now, his next step was to improve training and administration of his force and lift the sagging morale. He was a hard task master but never asked from his subordinates what he wouldn’t do himself. He removed the dead wood very quickly and dismissed several platoons not up to the task in one go. He sacked about 30 platoons (around 900 soldiers). Once he turned around his force, he now went to army and FC and asked for an opportunity to take his reconditioned constabulary into some operation to build up their operational confidence. He was assigned the task of cleaning up Kala Dhaka (a provincially administered tribal area) in Mansehra district that was the den of criminals and militants. After a successful operation there Frontier Constabulary had a new look. Safwat began to pester IGFC for some more combat opportunities on a larger scale. He was given the task of cleaning Pastawana area with the main objective around Tor Chappar in Darra Adam Khel. This Frontier Region (FR) of Peshawar and Kohat was at a strategic location and local chapter of Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) used this area to launch attacks in Peshawar, Kohat, Nowshehra, Mardan and Attock. The operation named ‘Spring Cleaning’ was carried out in February-March 2010. A joint tactical HQ was established in Dara Adam Khel with a reserve Quick Reaction Force (QRF) of Frontier Corps, artillery and attack helicopters in support but they were never needed. Safwat was in-charge of the operation proudly commanding his constabulary and always leading from the front. Around 36 platoons of Frontier Constabulary did all the heavy lifting causing significant causalities to the militants and captured many alive.

One example is suffice to show that when properly trained, equipped and led by good officers, any group can be molded into a fighting force walking proudly. On the other hand, even a seasoned battalion with over a hundred year history when not properly trained and poorly led surrenders in dozens without firing a single shot. During operations in Darra, Safwat’s troops complained of their kheris (Peshawari chappals) falling apart. Since his establishment had a team of cobblers, he ordered them to follow in the wake of the operation carrying their implements and instruments for repairing the chappals. Some of the cobblers got lost in the mountains and came across a dozen militants who had fled after being given a good thrashing by the Frontier Constabulary troops. The militants, on seeing a different breed of troops equipped with menacing looking tools, quickly surrendered to the cobblers. It was a strange sight to watch when a group of cobblers with their heads held high mustered their prisoners into the camp in the evening. An army officer who worked with Safwat closely is of the view that ‘his standards of leadership were very high and visible and very rarely one come across such a man’.



Safwat’s father was a diplomat and he spent his early life in different countries. He was fluent in Arabic and French. He admired courage and bravery. This factor was very important for him and he would grudgingly admire courage among his adversary especially Arab fighters. On the other hand he had contempt for cowardice and when his own soldiers showed hesitation, he was quick to dismiss them from service. In 1997, he was serving in Traffic police and going on with his usual routine. When he heard on wireless that police were engaged in a firefight with criminals, he turned his vehicle and rushed to the site of action. Soon he was in the middle of the shootout and got shot in left shoulder. When doctor finished his job, he told Safwat, ‘the good news is that it is your left shoulder and not right”. Safwat quipped “and the bad news is that I’m left handed”. Safwat was left handed and he worked hard to learn to use his right hand. It was during this injury that he got hepatitis from a tainted transfusion. Later, complications from the illness caused low platelets making him at risk for serious bleeding even with a minor injury. However, he was so immersed in his work of protecting his beloved city that he didn’t even travel hundred miles away to Rawalpindi to get treated by an expert physician. When pestered about the issue, he simply said that doctor can send me the medicines I need. He was a very light eater and got through a hectic daily schedule only on three Cs: Coke, Coffee and Cigarettes.