This newsworthy first hand information comes to my friends and family while on my way back to Islamabad on the motorway, Friday at 9. 20 PM on 2nd June 2023, once I left the insecurity of my hometown of Swat and its traumatised and terrorised residents .
I wonder what my friend Honourable Ismail Khan, Editor Dawn of the Peshawar Edition would think of the press release carried in its 30th May issue that I read at the Commissioner Malakand office. The very press release had quoted Honourable Shahid Ullah Khan, as Commissioner Malakand Division, reassuring tourists to visit tourist spots in the Malakand Division Region comprising of Swat, Shangla, Buner, Lower Dir, Upper Dir and Chital . The press release to me appeared merely a lip service to which our societal leadership whether political or civil are used to, unless accompanied by tangible administrative measures that speaks for itself something that would never require any verbal assurances propagated through media coverage.
Later in the absence of Commissioner Malakand,, I had the honour to call on Honourable Nasir Mehmood Satti, a gentleman officer, the incumbent Regional Police Officer of Malakand Division . The esteemed Officer was cultured and well read having commandable insight of the geostrategic situation about which we had lengthy academic discussion. Mr. Satti was emphatic towards the unfortunate incidents in which precious lives were lost in Swat, particularly the police attack on the small children of my alma mater, the public school sangota Swat for which I thanked him personally. .
On 31st June 3023, before embarking on a short mountain trek in Mountain Elum thought of paying a courtesy call to Honourable Shafi Ullah Gandapur at his office something I missed on my last visit . Though, two text messages were already sent to him for appointment that sadly remained answered. Though I have a lot of respect for Honourable Shafi Ullah Gandapur’s professional brilliance to have risen from an ordinary Assistant Sub Inspector of a police station to this present rank as District Police Officer of one of the most important districts of KPK.
Later I went to the office of Honourable Irfan Ullah Khan Wazir, Deputy Commissioner Swat and waited patiently at the office of his PA for well over 40 minutes . Sadly, both the Honourable Officers together left from the very Deputy Commissioner Swat office , without having slightest regard to the fact that someone was already in their long wait and whose presence was already in the knowledge of these two powerful officials of the present Swati Society, the lethal law and cop combination .
Though, I am a very humble and respectful soul neither afflicted by any ego issue to demand or expect any special treatment nor I hold any personal grudge against neither of them, whom I never met in person, yet display of such discourteous attitude badly undermines the reputation of the entire bureaucracy of Pakistan, where officers are recognised in the society through their professional credentials, personal conduct and demeanour to qualify them hold public offices.
It was an interesting spectacle when Shafi Ullah Gandapur was garlanded by Honourable Abdur Rahim Khan, President of the Traders Association of Swat under the local media spotlight, though it was in bad taste for any civil servant to be publicly paraded in the Bazars like politicians .
Ironically, the very police officer who is alleged for his part of professional responsibility in the extra Judicial killing of a local youth, the CTD Police Station Kabal incident and now the Public School Sangota Swat attack by his own under command police cop the blame for which now reportedly is being cleverly shifted to the lower staff in the ongoing public school sangota Swat firing incident inquiry. Sadly, the impartiality of which is likely to be undermined and influenced by Mr.Shafi Ullah Gandapur and his powerful backers in the KPK bureaucracy specifically Honourable Akhtar Hayat Gandapur as IGP KP and his hand picked DPO Swat , under whose administrative control took place such serious security lapses that sadly caused Pakistan international embarrassment which the country could hardly afford, being in negotiation with the IMF for the financial bailout to avert the impending default scenario. .
Sadly, the local people of Swat are least satisfied with these disappointing appointments and accuse the Shafi Ullah Gandapur the incumbent DPO Swat to be enjoying direct patronage of Honorable Akhtar Hayat Gandapur, the incumbent IGP KPK. Unfortunately, the District of Swat was always treated as a priced appointment amongst the KPK civil service circles and therefore awarded to favourites through favoritism than any professional criteria .
While on a visit to meet a personal friend at the Swat Press Club that I came to know about yet another shameful incident related to Swat District police, allegedly about a broad daylight raid that was conducted on the busy mobile market at Mingora city to trace and recover a stolen mobile phone allegedly belonging to either the DPO’s or the DC’s, personal friend hailing from Waziristan . Sadly, both these District officers reportedly being more personal friends than official counter parts directed towards ensuring safety and security of common citizens than serving each others personal interest at the cost of their professional obligation and image of their respective institutions.
Interestingly, the very stolen mobile was later reportedly recovered from the possession of a policeman, who had bought it for personal use . Unfortunately, the shop keepers of the entire mobile market of Mingora city in Swat faced worst – than – terrorist- treatment and public humiliation at the hands of the Swat Police . Sadly, such personal preferences over professional priorities may earn personal favours of the few in the society, yet one loses the faith of the majority in the Institutional fairness entrusted with the sacred duties of protecting the lives and properties of common citizens .
Indeed, it is unfortunate that Honourable Shafi Ullah Gandapur has lost both the public and professional face and the chance to be someone like Shaheed Police Officer Malick Saad or Shaheed Police Officer Sifwat Ghayur , the two legendry KPK police officers who courageously laid down their lives in defence of the common citizens winning them world wide acclaim for their heroic acts that positively contributed in enhancing the over all police service image of Pakistan .
The self respecting people of Swat only expect from their administration and the state of Pakistan to safeguard both their schools, children and human dignity and if none of them remain to be safe due to their professional incompetence is indeed a good reason for these Honourable officers to be replaced by those who can do justice to their demanding public responsibilities than rule ordinary citizens heartlessly with iron hands like historically the French mercenary Paolo Avitbal, hired by Mahraja Ranjit Singh to punish the hapless citizens of the Peshawar City.
Swat and its people never deserve such inhuman and humiliating treatment because Swat enjoys International reputation as tourist attraction, beside being the historic center of the ghandara civilisation. To every Pakistani tourist Swat serves as a home whether from Sindh, Balouchistan or Punjab .
Such unrest in Swat at the hands of its own law enforcers and incompetent district administration makes every Pakistani restless unless those in whose hands remain the present administrative reins of Swat timely realise to put an end to such embarrassing incidents that turned the once serene Swat valley restive through the ongoing unrest that administrative incompetence and Police high handedness is causing then attributed to be the handiwork of any hostile intelligence agencies or international conspiracy, who always get undue credit for our own classical blunders.
Sadly , there appear no hope such embarrassing incidents would not happen in the future until the culture that promotes political favoritism and nepotism exists, where competent officers are sidelined and replaced by incompetent officers, appointed for political reasons and then given a field day to go for the kill and that also under the state brazen patronage that go to any length in their support to shamelessly cover up their professional blunders , when the hands of these very so – called high officials remain stained with the blood of their own citizens, who continue to die due to their professional negligence of which Sangota Girls School incidence is a glaring example. .