PESHAWAR: On the day Malala Yousafzai received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, the first ever lady Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Dr Anoosh Masood got her formal posting in the home province of the Nobel Laureate while the first ever batch of 40 female police commandos exhibited skills at the Elite Police Training Centre. Both the developments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were a mere coincidence but it proved to be the best tribute to the teenager girl from Swat who became the youngest ever Nobel Laureate for fighting for children’s right to education, particularly girls. The day was special for Pakistan, Pakhtuns and especially the girls from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A group of around 40 female cops who were undergoing commando training at the Elite Police Training Centre in Nowshera exhibited their skills during the formal opening ceremony of the centre. Dressed in black trousers, red shirts and black scarves, the female commandos exhibited their skills in shooting, running, martial arts and drill. The batch is the first ever to be going through the specialised training at the specialised institute. The centre was formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and US Assistant Secretary of State William Brownfield on Wednesday. These women will be included in the Rapid Response Force, Special Combat Unit and Elite Police Force. All of them had volunteered for the tough commando training. Interestingly, also on Wednesday the first ever female ASP reported to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Dr Anoosh Masood was formally posted in Abbottabad district. She remained ASP Under Training in the same district before assuming her formal responsibilities to head a subdivision. She was among the fresh batch of ASPs who got postings late Tuesday night. Among these ASPs, two were placed at the disposal of the capital city police Peshawar, one was posted in Swabi and another in Mansehra while Dr Anoosh Masood was posted in Abbottabad. Another ASP, Sonia Shamroz,
also placed at the strength of KP, is undergoing training and will report to the province after its completion. Around 20 women ASPs have so far joined the police service of Pakistan, with the first one Helena joining the force almost 18 years ago. She is presently a senior police officer. Policewomen are yet to prove their skills in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa though some of them have reached to the posts of deputy superintendents of police. One of the reasons is probably the fact that none of them has so far got any mainstream posting. All these women had to serve in the two women police stations in Peshawar and Abbottabad that were established in the mid-90s but remained deadwood since the beginning. Both the police stations are yet to get any authority to lodge a single FIR. The police station in Peshawar is set up inside the Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines. This makes it difficult for a female complainant to access it.
