Khan Mohammad

Khan Mohammad was a cricket player who was a member of Pakistan's first Test team that played against India in 1952. Born in Lahore, Punjab, he was educated at the city's Islamia College. He played in 13 Tests as an opening bowler who shared the new ball with Fazal Mahmood. He also holds the distinction of bowling Pakistan's first ball and taking Pakistan's first wicket in Test cricket. He even once bowled Len Hutton in a Test match for a duck, at Lord's in 1954 – a rare feat among the cricketers of that time. He was born in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, on 1 January 1928. He belonged to the Durrani tribe. He joined the Police Service of Pakistan in 1982 and served in various positions and ranks in Balochistan, Sindh, and Punjab. He became an encounter specialist and was involved in many operations against terrorists, criminals, and militants. He was suspended and reinstated several times due to his controversial methods and allegations of extra-judicial killings. He was appointed as the Chief Capital City Police Officer of Peshawar in 2006 by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. He introduced many reforms and innovations in the police force, such as establishing police assistance lines, police access service, specialized schools, special combat unit, counter-terrorism department, and technology-based investigation. He also implemented strict accountability and merit-based recruitment and promotion in the police. He earned fame and respect for his actions against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other extremist groups. He received many awards and honors for his bravery and service, such as the Pakistan Police Medal, the Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal, the Nishan-e-Shujaat, and the Herald's Person of the Year. He also received tributes from various national and international figures, such as the president and prime minister of Pakistan, Bill Gates, and Malala Yousafzai. He was regarded as one of the most influential and respected police officers in the history of Pakistan. He retired from the police service in 2017 and was appointed as the chairman of the Punjab Police Reform Commission in 2018 by the PTI government. He was tasked with improving the police standards and performance in Punjab, the largest province of Pakistan. He resigned from the post in 2018 due to health issues. He contracted COVID-19 in 2021 and was admitted to the Mayo Hospital in Lahore, where he remained in a coma for several days. He died on 19 April 2021, at the age of 64. He was buried in Lahore and mourned by the whole nation. He is regarded as one of the most influential and respected police officers in the history of Pakistan.