September Issue 2013

DSP Saeeda Aslam is Balochistan’s first woman police officer. And after serving for 31 years, she feels that women should join the force. A prominent police officer hailing from Quetta, Aslam joined the department in the ’80s, which in itself is quite an achievement, as she remembers that “there was no concept of women police officers in the area at the time.”

DSP Aslam was so determined that she started her career by putting her own brothers behind bars, after they threatened to burn down her house in protest against her joining the police force. She decided that it was the time to act, otherwise she would not be able to pursue her career. In the end, she recalls with a smile, her brothers were bailed out with the help of their close friends.

Before joining the police service, Aslam had always wanted to be a journalist but could not pursue her dream as her father had passed away and she needed a source of income. After appearing in the qualifying exam, she was hired as a lady inspector. Aslam faced some difficulties in the early days of her career, as her male counterparts were not comfortable working with a woman. They felt hesitant, if not altogether offended, taking orders from a woman. Back then, she was among the few women police officers who were serving in the police department, but with time the perception changed in a positive way. According to Aslam, men have now become more accepting of women in the police force.

Presently, Aslam is serving as DSP in the National Highway and Motorway police department in Islamabad. She is very conscious of her duty to maintain law and order, and protect people’s lives and property. She believes it is her duty to oversee unbiased investigation and to ensure that every wrong-doer is punished through the due process of law.