PESHAWAR: The Kurram police have made history by appointing a female officer, Samreen Amir, as the first additional Station House Officer (Ad-SHO) in the region, marking a significant milestone in gender inclusivity within law enforcement. This marks the first instance of a woman police officer being posted as an additional SHO in any former tribal area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Furthermore, another woman, Sofia, has been appointed as an additional Moharar in the same police station.
Imran Mirza, Kurram District Police Officer (DPO), shared this historic development, stating, “Samreen Amir has been posted as the additional SHO of the Parachinar police station in Kurram district. We have also posted another woman, Sofia, as an additional Moharar in the same police station.”
Sofia Masih had previously served as the head of the women’s desk in Kurram a couple of years ago.
The Kurram DPO also revealed that, in addition to these appointments, efforts are being made to provide training to other female police officers in the district. This training aims to equip them with the necessary skills to actively participate in regular police work, further enhancing gender diversity within the force.
This development holds immense significance for the former tribal districts, as the appointment of women as SHOs remains a rarity, even in the settled districts of KP, including Peshawar. Historically, only one woman was briefly posted as an acting SHO in the Gulberg police station in Peshawar.
Notably, no woman police officer recruited as a constable or assistant sub-inspector in the province had previously ascended to the position of an SHO or sub-divisional officer in any KP town. Some of these dedicated women have since risen through the ranks to attain the position of Superintendent of Police.
While a few women within the police service had assumed roles as Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPOs) and District Police Officers (DPOs) in KP, one standout example is Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) officer Sonia Shamroz, who currently serves as the DPO in Battagram in the Hazara region.
This remarkable milestone in Kurram reflects a broader shift towards greater gender inclusivity and empowerment within law enforcement agencies, setting an encouraging precedent for the region and the nation as a whole.
