K-P gets first female district police officer

SP Sonia has been posted as DPO Lower Chitral

PESHAWAR:

For the first time in the history of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, a woman has been posted as the District Police Officer (DPO).

According to sources, a grade-18 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan, SP Sonia Shamroz has been posted as the DPO for Lower Chitral.

Sonia recently returned to the country after receiving a Chevening Fellowship from the United Kingdom. She has been honoured to serve as the first female principal of the Mansehra Police Training Center.

Hailing from Abbottabad District, Sonia was initially posted as the Assistant Superintendent Police after qualifying the CSS exams.

She has also served as Additional SP Abbottabad in the past. During her fellowship in UK, Sonia completed a world-class course on violence against women and conflict in the UK.

While speaking exclusively to The Express Tribune, Sonia said she is proud to serve as the first woman in the province to be posted as the DPO.

She added that women in many countries around the world are also serving in the defence sector and in the police.

“As a female officer, handling the district is no less than a challenge,” SP Sonia said, adding that K-P police is a force of brave people. She expressed gratitude to have the opportunity to serve the people of Chitral district.“I joined the police to encourage and motivate other females to come forward and to be trailblazer,” she said. “My husband and father have helped me a lot. Initially most people discouraged me, because of the nature of the police job.”

SP Sonia further added that, “Serving as a DPO in Chitral is a challenging task. My priority will be to encourage other females to come forward and take the lead.”

While shedding light over her family, the female police officer informed this correspondent that she has three kids. “My in-laws are also happy on my new assignment.”

Praising the appointment of a female DPO, the K-P police chief said that the provincial police is a force of martyrs. “We are giving outstanding opportunities to women based on merit,” he said. “We have many more women police officers in the elite force and traffic department.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2021.