Female elite forces to join KP police battalion

In a bid to make the forces more efficient in search and strike operations, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police have decided to recruit female commandos to serve in tribal districts and adjacent areas.

These commandos will soon be ready to join KP police and assist the force on all fronts against terrorists and criminal entities.

“There has long been a shortage of lady police officers in adjoining areas of tribal districts, which has severely affected our ability to conduct search operations in tribal households where men outside of the family are not permitted to enter women’s spaces,” KP Inspector-General of Police Dr Naeem Khan said.

“With the induction of these skilled female commandos into our forces, we aim to make their presence compulsory while conducting house raids, keeping tribal customs and traditions in mind,” he added.

According to Khan, two batches of female commandos have already completed training and are ready to be deployed.

A total of 69 female commandos will eventually be inducted into the KP police battalion upon completion of their four months of training, which involves the use of advanced weaponry and martial arts.

As per North Waziristan District Police Officer Shafiullah Ghandapur, previously there were only seven female searchers in the district, who had been recruited by the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata)’s former political administration.

“Although these female searchers have been performing their duties in search and security services, there are no female commandos trained for conducting raids and search and strike operations.”

KP police spokesperson Shahzad Kokab Farooq said that there are 648 female police officers deployed across the province.

“Although some of the female officers at the Police Training College of Hangu have been outperforming their male counterparts in every field, it is for the first time that the KP police has decided to actually deploy female commandos in the adjoining areas of tribal districts.”

KP Elite Force’s first Deputy Superintendent of Police Rozia Altaf said that the female commandos have been trained to work shoulder to shoulder with the men on the field.

“They’re more than capable of conducting raids as well as search and special operations. Their advanced training has enabled them to fight on all fronts and stand tall in the face of adversity.”