Funeral prayers of SP Tahir Dawar offered in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The funeral prayers of slain Superintendent of Police (SP) Tahir Khan Dawar were offered at Police Lines in Peshawar on Thursday.

KP Governor Shah Farman, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi, IG KP police Salahuddin Khan Mahsud and other officials attended the funeral.

Tahir Khan Dawar, who was kidnapped from Islamabad’s G-10/4 area on Oct 26, was murdered in Afghanistan as his tortured body was found in Dur Baba district of Nangarhar province this week.

Afghan authorities handed over the mortal remains of the martyred cop to a Pakistani delegation at Torkham border crossing this evening after which the body was brought to Peshawar.

The Foreign Office said in a statement that Pakistan hoped that Afghan authorities will offer full cooperation in ascertaining the circumstances behind the killing of the police officer in Afghanistan.

“The sad episode of retrieval of the body of SP Tahir Khan Dawar following his brutal murder in Afghanistan two days ago, ended as an official delegation brought it back today. We offer our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and pray for the Maghfirah of the departed soul,” the statement read.

It said after the news of Dawar’s death on the evening of November 13, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul immediately contacted Afghan authorities for its confirmation and handing over of the body of the deceased to Pakistan. The Ambassador of Pakistan had asked the Afghan government to immediately send the mortal remains foregoing routine formalities.

The Afghan Charge d’ Affairs in Islamabad was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs twice yesterday, and again this afternoon to register our strong protest over the inordinate delay and manner in which the body was handed over, said the Foreign Office.

“Written and verbal demarches were made, which resulted in the visit of an official delegation to Afghanistan, who brought it back to Peshawar this evening.”

Earlier, it was reported that the Afghan officials refused to hand over the mortal remains of the cop to a Pakistani delegation led by Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi who arrived at the Torkham Gate to receive his body.

They handed over the body to a jirga comprising tribal elders and MNA Mohsin Dawar.