SWAT: The first ever women police station in Malakand division started functioning in Rahimabad near Mingora here on Friday.

“This is the first full-fledged women police station in Swat and the second in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The police station has separate rooms for SHO, additional SHO, and offices for moharar (investigation officer) and computer operator. All the staffers from SHO to the computer operator are women, and police station will work under the district police officer directly,” said Swat additional Superintendent of Police Shah Hassan Khan.

He added all the women police had got training in use of modern weapons, and the police station was equipped with every facility, including a separate mobile van.

“If the women police station needs additional personnel or vehicles it will be provided with the same,” he promised, saying the police station was currently functioning in a rented building, but construction work on its own building would start soon.

Talking to mediapersons after assuming charge of the first SHO of the police station, Neelam Shaukat said the police station was established to facilitate the women who could not visit the men police stations. “They can come here anytime for their issues to be resolved,” she assured.

“If a woman is not allowed to personally visit the police station, she can make call to the police station and our personnel will reach her immediately,” she said.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2021