At least two policemen were martyred and a third was injured on Tuesday night after a suicide bomber detonated himself at the Dajal checkpost in Punjab’s Bhakkar district, according to police.
In a statement, District Police Officer Shehzad Rafiq Awan said the attack occurred around iftar time near the bridge connecting Punjab with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Police have identified the martyred cops as Constable Faheem Abbas and Shehbaz Madni.
Arshad, the injured police officer, was transferred to the District Headquarters Hospital for treatment, where his condition is reportedly stable.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Abdul Kareem, in a statement, paid tribute to the slain officers. Expressing condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families, he directed provision of the best medical facilities to the injured officer. “Punjab Police will never leave the families of the martyrs alone and the department will fulfill their welfare responsibilities in the best possible manner,” he said. “Every young officer of Punjab Police is a wall of steel against the Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan,” he added.
Condemning the terrorist attack, President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to the police officials martyred in the line of duty. He expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for them to be granted strength and patience to bear the irreparable loss.
Similarly, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the incident and expressed deep sorrow and grief over the martyrdom of police personnel in the attack. He said the sacrifices rendered by police in the war against terrorism would not be allowed to go in vain.
He reiterated the government’s firm determination to eradicate terrorism from the country.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also paid tribute to the slain officers and expressed condolences to the bereaved families. She prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.