LAHORE: Balochistan female police officer SP Shazia Sarwar has become the first ever female District Police Officer (DPO) to serve in Punjab where women make up only 2.25 percent of the police force overall.
In order to send a positive message to people joining the federal services from the less privileged province, the Punjab government appointed SP Shazia Sarwar as District Police Officer (DPO) of Layyah on a vacant position.
According to a police official, SP Sarwar is the first officer with a Balochistan domicile and the sixth policewoman to hold the position of DPO in Punjab.
He noted that in the previous four years or so, SP Shaista Rehman (from the 36th common) served as DPO Bhakkhar, SP Amara Ather (from the 36th common) as DPO Bahawalnagar and DPO Sargodha, SP Maria Mahmood as DPO Pakpatan, and SP Nida Umar (from the 36th common) as DPO Layyah.
The current IGP Faisal Shahkar held a number of meetings to enhance the proportion of female officers in order to remove male domination in all ranks, the official said, and this resulted in a significant change in policy for the Punjab police.
Only 4,500 female officers out of the roughly 200,000 total employees work for the Punjab Police, and only a small percentage of them are able to advance to the high level of DIG or higher, the official said.
He bemoaned the fact that policewomen frequently find it too difficult to fit in at the department, which is predominately male. Due to the current culture, which has supported male domination, no one could be posted as a regional police officer, he claimed.
Of the total strength of nearly 200,000 personnel, there are only 4,500 female officers serving in the Punjab police department and of them few could reach the high rank of DIG or above, the official said.
He lamented that policewomen often find it too hard for themselves to adjust in the male-dominated department. No one could get posting as a Regional Police Officer due to the prevailing culture that has been supporting the male dominance, he said.
