Towards empowerment: Women complaint units set up in 56 police stations

More than 100 women constables have been deployed.

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) police has established women complaint units in 56 police stations across the province where 116 lady constables have been deployed.

Units have been set up in police stations in Peshawar, Mardan, Abbottabad, Swat, Bannu, Nowshera and DI Khan. Staff desks have also been established in Mardan District Hospital, Mardan Medical Complex, Casualty Hospital Swat and Medical Complex Abbottabad to further facilitate women requiring legal assistance from the police.

“The units have been established upon the directives of K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak. Eventually, such units will be set up in all police stations,” a police official told The Express Tribune. Of the 25 provincial districts, complaint centres have been set up in police stations across 18 districts. More units will be set up in the remaining seven districts in phases, he added.



The police official said these units will work in two shifts, from 8am to 8pm. The police, however, does not have enough female staff and a summary has been sent to the provincial government for additional recruitment in the coming days, he added. “Around 116 women have been deployed, but we are really short of female constables.” More women will be recruited to overcome the staff shortage.



“In the seven districts, including Tor Ghar and Kohistan, women complaint units will be set up in the second phase after more staff is recruited,” he said. The official claimed these steps are aimed at providing women legal help and an easy environment to lodge their complaints, adding this is a first for the province where women police officials will serve women. “This is a first step to change the thana culture in the province.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2013.