CHITRAL: Shazia Ishaq, 25, belonging to a remote village of Upper Chitral, has become the first woman police officer in Malakand division after she passed the competitive examination of the Federal Public Service Commission.

Daughter of a retired junior commissioned officer of the Pak Army, Ms Ishaq had earned a BS degree in political science from Islamia College University in 2018.

Talking to Dawn, she said Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) was her first choice in the competitive examination as she yearned to be a police officer from her childhood.

Explaining the reason of her choice, she said in the male-dominated society a woman police officer could be a ‘ray of hope’ for women in distress.

Ms Ishaq said the presence of women police officers in and around the police stations would help the women feel secure. “It was a major ambition in my life to help the women in distress.”

Ms Ishaq said another aim of her choice of joining the police service was to raise the spirits of women so they could be able to take hard jobs beyond their traditional roles and prove their mettle.

Regarding the alarming rise in suicide cases involving women in Chitral, she said it were the social prejudices which frustrated the women to take such extreme steps. She admired her parents for giving her support to a level which filled her with self-confidence and respect for humanity.

About her preparations for the examinations, she said she worked consistently for one year and passed it in her first attempt. “Hard work with consistency is the basic condition to achieving any target.”

In a separate development, a married woman of 55 years of age committed suicide by jumping into the river in Shah Nigar village of Drosh in the early hours of Saturday.

Rescue 1122 sources identified her as wife of Sher Afzal, who is said to be suffering from epilepsy. She left her house early on Saturday when the family members were sleeping and jumped into the river, the rescue sources said.

Her body was yet to be located as the police have started an inquiry to ascertain the real cause of the death.

Earlier, two girls and a young man had committed suicide in two villages of Upper Chitral.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2021