Safwat Ghayur

Biography

Safwat Ghayur was the nephew of Pakistan Movement activist Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar, a cousin of the former Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Owais Ahmed Ghani, and a cousin of former Chief of Armed forces General Abdul Waheed Kakar. His brother-in-law, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, was twice the Chief Minister of the province, as well as Interior Minister of Pakistan.

Safwat Ghayur joined the Police Service of Pakistan in 1981 (9th CTP) and worked initially as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), at various stations of Peshawar, and then as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Peshawar. He became Deputy Commandant in the National Police Academy of Pakistan and later on Capital City Police Officer of Peshawar. Since December 2009, he served as Commandant of the Frontier Constabulary, which acts as a policing force in the semi-autonomous tribal areas of Pakistan. He had gained a reputation for being actively involved in police work, having been shot in the shoulder in 1994 in a shootout with a criminal, and was widely praised as a hero and became a well known police officer in the fight against terrorism.

Death and legacy

Safwat Ghayur was killed by a targeted suicide bomb blast at the Frontier Constabulary Chowk, Peshawar on the evening of 4 August 2010, when he was driving away from his office without any special security protocol. A pedestrian was killed on the scene and two others later died in the hospital. Eight kilograms of explosives were used; "the severed head of the suspected bomber, who appeared to be in his teens, was found some 20 feet from the gutted vehicle of Mr Ghayur." Responsibility was claimed by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.

Interior Minister of Pakistan Rehman Malik honoured him posthumously with the Hilal-e-Shujaat. He was one of the number of police officers killed while in duty from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Police; following his colleagues Malik Saad and Abid Ali.

References

References

1. Jamil, Qazi. (4 August 2019). "Police Martyrs Day: Remembering Safwat Ghayur, Pakistan’s Man of Steel".
2. Khan, Javed Aziz. (4 August 2024). "Safwat Ghayur: a legend 14 years after martyrdom".
3. Ahmad, Riaz. (3 August 2014). "May the force be with you: Safwat Ghayur, Peshawar’s man of steel never took no for an answer".
4. Khan, Ismail. (9 August 2010). "A hero who died with his boots on". [[Dawn (newspaper).
5. Khan, Habibullah. (4 August 2010). "Pakistan's 'Wyatt Earp' Killed in a Terrorist Attack: Sifwat Ghayur was courageous – or crazy – enough to be on the front lines of his own missions". [[ABC News (United States).
6. Bacha, Ali Hazrat. (5 August 2010). "Constabulary loses chief in Peshawar suicide attack". [[Dawn (newspaper).
7. (6 August 2010). "Safwat Ghayur laid to rest". [[SAMAA TV]].
8. Khan, Ismail. (4 August 2010). "Police Official Assassinated by Taliban in Pakistan". [[The New York Times]].
9. Ali, Manzoor. (5 August 2010). "FC Commandant laid to rest". [[The Express Tribune]].