By Saleem Mubarak
LAHORE–For decades, the police service in Pakistan has been overwhelmingly a man’s world — not only in numbers but also in culture, perception, and practice.
Field postings, especially those involving direct operational command, were long the exclusive turf of men. Despite wearing the same police uniform, women officers were often kept on the sidelines. They were typically restricted to desk jobs, welfare tasks or token postings designed merely to tick the diversity box.
Maryam Nawaz and Dr. Usman Anwar Lead a Gender-Inclusive Shift
Now, under the direction of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and the leadership of Inspector General of Punjab Police Dr. Usman Anwar, this status quo is being turned on its head.
Gone are the days when female officers were left out in the cold for critical field roles. Now, a woman police officer–Amara Sherazi– is heading the district police of Khushab. For many, it’s a striking change: seeing a woman in uniform exercising authority on the streets rather than being confined behind office walls.
Talking to Saleem Mubarak, the Inspector General of Police Punjab, Dr. Anwar said that more than half of Pakistan’s population is made up of females. This initiative of posting more female officers in the Punjab Police is the result of our belief in gender mainstreaming. This is only possible by having them at key field positions, putting them at the cutting edge, he added.
He explained that Chief Minister Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, being a woman herself, has always been a driving force behind promoting and encouraging appointments of women to critical roles.
Women Officers Taking Command in Challenging Assignments
“You might be surprised to note that female officers are now carrying the torch in some of the most challenging assignments– from commanding entire districts, managing the heavy traffic of metropolitans like Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, and active crime fighting in the Crime Control Department (CCD).
They also handle complex calculations at the provincial level, oversee operational policing in districts such as Faisalabad, and train police officials in police training colleges,” he noted.
Currently, he said, Punjab Police has women holding the reins as District Police Officer in Khushab, Chief Traffic Officer in Gujranwala, Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) in Faisalabad, Regional Officer of the CCD in Rawalpindi, and Assistant Inspector General of Police Finance at CPO.
He said that there is also an internal demand, as highly educated women joining Punjab Police aim to climb the career ladder.
“We cannot keep them at arm’s length or deny them the positions they have earned and deserve,” he added.
Permanent Policy for Women in Field Postings
Dr. Anwar categorically mentioned that assigning field postings to women officers is a permanent policy direction.
“We are not experimenting with gender equality; we are institutionalizing it for times to come. Public and institutional response will further guide us in capacity building and training our women officers in line with the evolution of our society. But the commitment to having women in operational command in the police is here to stay as long as policing the masses continues.”
Shedding light on the long-term institutional goals of the police department associated with these appointments, the IGP said that the real aim is to ensure every woman gets a chance to work in a leadership position.
He said that over time, we expect to see a much more balanced distribution of command roles as our female officers continue to conquer new heights.
“Recognizing the importance of women’s roles in law enforcement and their potential to bring unique perspectives to policing, we aim to create a more inclusive and effective police force.
By integrating women into key roles, we can better serve our community, address a wide range of issues more effectively, and foster a culture of equality and respect,” Dr. Anwar remarked.
Overcoming Resistance to Women in Operational Roles
When asked whether he has encountered resistance — overt or covert — within the police force regarding the appointment of women to operational roles, he said that naturally, any cultural shift meets some resistance, both overt and covert. However, it is being addressed through strong leadership and the examples set by female officers whose performance matches that of their male counterparts.
He pointed out that this resistance will fade into the background as professionally competent women officers continue to step up to the plate and fill these positions. As you may have noticed, recently two of our female officers made waves globally by winning prestigious awards at police conferences in the USA and Dubai.
Such achievements show the writing on the wall that we will have world class police leaders coming from Punjab’s female officers, he added.
Highlighting his strategy to reshape internal police culture– especially in lower ranks–to accept and follow female leadership without bias or resentment, Dr. Anwar said that through proactive measures like training programs, workshops and awareness initiatives, they have been working to foster a more inclusive culture and address such concerns.
He was all smiles to share that he received an overwhelming thumbs-up from the ranks in accepting female leadership.
“Our women officers are just as capable as their male counterparts, so the force accepts them in leadership roles. Moreover, respect for rank is absolute within the police force.”
When asked whether the success or challenges of these officers would be used as a case study for future recruitment and deployment policies, he opined that appointing women to field postings will open doors for more women to step up and perform better than before.
He said that their challenges will shed light on areas where the Punjab police can improve its system to help them climb the ladder more smoothly.
Shielding Female Officers from Political Interference
In response to a query about what steps are being taken to shield these officers from undue political transfers or interference — a chronic issue, the IGP Punjab said that women officers are being given a chance to perform without any external pressure related to transfers and postings.
“It is being ensured that they are treated on par with all other male officers, and overall postings in the Punjab Police are merit-based. Policies and guidelines have also been developed to guarantee this.
Irrespective of gender, if an officer is performing well, no one will even think of transforming him or her. There is no pressure from any side to move female officers where they are performing well,” he explained.
Dr. Anwar said that this shift represents a significant milestone in his career as IGP, marking a step towards modernizing the police force and promoting gender equality. It is a privilege to be part of this historical change, he proudly added.
“I also see this as more than just an administrative decision; it is a paradigm shift. If future female officers can take command roles as a matter of routine rather than exception, then we will have truly redefined the gender landscape of law enforcement for years to come.”
Punjab Police Model Inspiring Other Provinces
Following the Punjab Police model, he claimed other provinces are also working on gender inclusiveness and gender mainstreaming. Punjab Police, being at the forefront, has embraced a leading role in this regard.
He said, “We do believe that the Punjab model will serve as best practice for other provinces, and frankly, we are open to sharing our experiences and insights with them.”
He suggested that inter-provincial consultations could further facilitate scaling up this effort nationwide.
Remembering Past Female Officers Who Inspired Change
When asked if he could recall any female officers from the past who inspired this move but didn’t get the chance to prove themselves due to structural limitations, he firmly replied that yes, there had been outstanding women in the Punjab Police–especially in lower ranks– whose potential was not fully utilized.
He said that their determination and resilience have laid the groundwork for future generations. We are giving all women officers a fair shot to step into the limelight and demonstrate their skills in professional roles, he added.
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