To honour thousands of Pakistani police and law enforcement officials who have lost their lives in the line of duty, US Ambassador Richard Olson laid a memorial wreath at the National Police Martyrs’ Monument in Islamabad on Friday.
Ambassador Olson was joined by Islamabad Capital Territory Police Deputy Inspector General Sultan Temuri and other Islamabad police officials.
“In Pakistan today, nearly half a million police and law enforcement personnel risk their lives to protect the safety of others,” said Ambassador Olson on the occasion. “It is an honour to be here and pay tribute to their extraordinary bravery and to remember the heroes who have laid down their lives in pursuit of a safer, more peaceful, and more just society,” he added.
Ambassador Olson recounted how, since the founding of Pakistan in 1947, over 6,000 police and law enforcement officials had been killed. He also paid tribute to more than 200 officers who were killed in the line of duty in 2012.
Ambassador Olson said the United States would continue to support the policing agencies of Pakistan as they work to safeguard citizens. He closed by saying that the loyalty, sacrifice, dedication, and courage of all the men and women serving in the police of Pakistan would never be forgotten.