First woman SHO to lead men's police station in Islamabad
Crime
The move aimed at ending gender discrimination within the Islamabad Police
(Web Desk) - Sub-Inspector Misbah Shehbaz has been appointed an SHO at Phulgran Police Station, becoming the first woman to head a general (men’s) police station in Islamabad.
The appointment was announced in an official press statement issued by the Foreign Media Cell of Islamabad Police on Thursday.
According to the statement, the appointment was made through formal orders issued by Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Muhammad Jawad Tariq, who said the move was intended to “end gender discrimination within the Islamabad Police.”
“This initiative will continue and more female officers will be given the opportunity to lead police stations,” Tariq was quoted as saying in the press release.
The post of SHO is one of the most visible and operationally significant leadership roles in Pakistan’s police hierarchy, responsible for crime investigation, public safety, and station-level administration. Until now, female SHOs in Islamabad had only led women police stations.
According to the National Police Bureau (NPB) and UN Women Pakistan, as of 2023, women made up only 3.2% of Pakistan’s total police force — that is 15,509 female officers out of 489,645 nationwide.
In Islamabad, female representation was slightly higher at 5.04%, based on official NPB data published in 2023. Between 2019 and 2023, 11,398 women joined various police organizations in Pakistan, but the vast majority were not placed in command or operational leadership roles, as per a UN Women & NPB joint assessment report from 2023.
