Nowshera suicide attack: Amid tears and sobs, Ajmeer Shah laid to rest

CHARSADDA:
Ajmeer Shah, the Station House Officer of Risalpur Police Station who was killed in the suicide attack in Nowshera on Friday, was laid to rest amid tears at his ancestral graveyard in Tarkha Koruna on Saturday.
The attack occurred at around 11:30am at Bara Banada Chowk, targeting Ajmeer while he was patrolling the area with a gunman.
The whole village was struck by an immense wave of grief as Shah, 32, was returned to the soil by his fellow villagers.
However, Murad Ali Shah, the deceased’s father, stood out due to the confident expression on his face, and showed pride in his son’s selfless sacrifices to protect his fellow countrymen.
“My son wanted to serve his country since he was a little boy. I will always be proud of him”, said Murad in a confident manner.
A few villagers who were seen holding AK-47s outside Shah’s house were so grieved over his death that it seemed as if they were waiting to take avenge their neighbour’s assassination.
The whole area was cordoned off by the police and family members.
Ajmeer, who got married in February this year, was recently posted at the Risalpur Police Station to curb increasing militancy in the region.
According to sources, Shah had played an important role in killing Qari Basit, a senior Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant, a few months back, which is believed to be the reason he was targeted.
Due to his excellent performance, within a relatively short span of time, Ajmeer was promoted to inspector and was awarded with different distinctions including the Pride of Performance for his courage and success in missions against various militants and outlaws.
“He was a bold man who never hesitated to fight criminals. He did everything to provide security to residents of the area. I always advised him to err on the side of caution and that his insistence on being the first at the crime scene could be dangerous for him,” said a police official close to Shah.
Bacha Shah, one of Ajmeer’s brothers, said Ajmeer was beloved by the entire village as he had a very social and outgoing personality, despite the fact that he had to deal with criminals on a daily basis.
“Over 300 people have come to offer their prayers for his soul, which shows how much people cared for him. He died while serving his country and we are all very proud of what he has done,” he remarked
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2011.