Driving into the expansive elite police station in Sheikhupura, one takes in the one-storey, red brick offices surrounded by trees and greenery-flanked on either side of the long driveway.
It’s picturesque and peaceful; certainly not a sight one would expect to see at a police station which also houses Punjab’s elite police force in the city.
After a quick hello, Shaistah Arshad briskly guides me past a number of vehicles with the slogan, ‘No Fear’ painted across their back bumpers, and we go up the stairs to a room.
Soft-spoken and polite, she cuts a petite figure in her smart black uniform and head scarf. It’s easy to be misled by Arshad’s baby face, but beneath the soft exterior, the 28-year-old is as tough as nails. Having been through rigourous months of training involving martial arts, self-defense and working with a plethora of firearms, the commando is a force to be reckoned with. You really wouldn’t want to mess with her.
Seated in a small room flanked with couches, a coffee table and a day bed (set against the wall), Arshad reveals that she always found herself drawn to the armed forces. Having passed her matriculation exams in 2006 from a school set-up by the well-known non-profit, CARE Foundation in Sheikhupura, Arshad mentions that after her BA degree, she began working at one of the foundation’s schools as a teacher – a position she held for five years.
“Studying and then teaching at CARE was a wonderful experience. I’m here today because of my teachers; they have a big hand to play in where I am today. If it wasn’t for them, I’d be home washing dishes.”
During her teaching years however, Arshad continuously dreamed of joining the Punjab police; she simply couldn’t see herself doing anything else apart from waking up every morning and serving in the force.
After successfully clearing training for the police force in 2014, Arshad quit her career in education and kept her eye on the prize. Luckily, in 2017, she became a part of the squad, and currently stands as one of only fifteen female elite force commandos in Sheikhupura.
“I was always drawn to the disciplined force, I found it very appealing,” she says, “But the training is very, very challenging, especially for women from a physical and mental point of view. I had to build up my stamina for the training – I remember the first week was just brutal. We’d have to go running at the crack of dawn, but after a few weeks, you get used to the routine…your mind and body begins to adapt.”
One of seven siblings, Arshad’s voice betrays a twinge of emotion when she speaks about her mother, a widow, who made sure all her children went to school and followed their passions. “She never once held me back and has been cheering me on from day one,” Arshad states, “Our mother never let us feel the absence of a father, and this society can be pretty harsh towards unmarried and widowed women. I remember people would ask her, why are you educating your girls? And she’d retort: if I was literate, I would have been able to give them a better life; I don’t want my daughters to suffer the way I did!”
But given Arshad’s unconventional career-path, as opposed to other vocations that society deems ‘suitable’ for women, has she ever felt out of place in this largely male-dominated field?
“That’s just a perception,” she says matter-of-factly, “We get the same respect and protocol just as any other police officer or commando in the force – there aren’t any gender issues here. Besides, why shouldn’t women be given the same amount of respect as men? Just because we’re women? Of course not. If I’d felt unsafe or faced any issues in the force, I would have left immediately. Nothing is more important than one’s self-respect.”
And her brothers, how did they react to her joining the elite police? “They love what I do,” she grins, “They’re incredibly proud of me and super supportive. You know how it is, brothers can be so over-protective sometimes, but they have a lot of trust in me. Even if I walked into a group of thousands of men, they know that I can keep myself safe.”
With duties that usually revolve around VVIP movements or special raids, Arshad laughs when asked if she’s experienced harassment in public. “When I’m in uniform no one dares say anything to me; sure they stare, even the females…but we get a lot of respect from the public.”
Hoping to sit for her CSS exams in the near future, Arshad mentions that young women ought to seriously consider the police force as a viable and exciting career choice.
“It’s different and not a typical, run-of-the-mill job. Anyone can do office work, but a job in the forces is tough and a great challenge. It’s different. You stand out from the rest.”
It’s picturesque and peaceful; certainly not a sight one would expect to see at a police station which also houses Punjab’s elite police force in the city.
After a quick hello, Shaistah Arshad briskly guides me past a number of vehicles with the slogan, ‘No Fear’ painted across their back bumpers, and we go up the stairs to a room.
Soft-spoken and polite, she cuts a petite figure in her smart black uniform and head scarf. It’s easy to be misled by Arshad’s baby face, but beneath the soft exterior, the 28-year-old is as tough as nails. Having been through rigourous months of training involving martial arts, self-defense and working with a plethora of firearms, the commando is a force to be reckoned with. You really wouldn’t want to mess with her.
Seated in a small room flanked with couches, a coffee table and a day bed (set against the wall), Arshad reveals that she always found herself drawn to the armed forces. Having passed her matriculation exams in 2006 from a school set-up by the well-known non-profit, CARE Foundation in Sheikhupura, Arshad mentions that after her BA degree, she began working at one of the foundation’s schools as a teacher – a position she held for five years.
“Studying and then teaching at CARE was a wonderful experience. I’m here today because of my teachers; they have a big hand to play in where I am today. If it wasn’t for them, I’d be home washing dishes.”
During her teaching years however, Arshad continuously dreamed of joining the Punjab police; she simply couldn’t see herself doing anything else apart from waking up every morning and serving in the force.
After successfully clearing training for the police force in 2014, Arshad quit her career in education and kept her eye on the prize. Luckily, in 2017, she became a part of the squad, and currently stands as one of only fifteen female elite force commandos in Sheikhupura.
“I was always drawn to the disciplined force, I found it very appealing,” she says, “But the training is very, very challenging, especially for women from a physical and mental point of view. I had to build up my stamina for the training – I remember the first week was just brutal. We’d have to go running at the crack of dawn, but after a few weeks, you get used to the routine…your mind and body begins to adapt.”
One of seven siblings, Arshad’s voice betrays a twinge of emotion when she speaks about her mother, a widow, who made sure all her children went to school and followed their passions. “She never once held me back and has been cheering me on from day one,” Arshad states, “Our mother never let us feel the absence of a father, and this society can be pretty harsh towards unmarried and widowed women. I remember people would ask her, why are you educating your girls? And she’d retort: if I was literate, I would have been able to give them a better life; I don’t want my daughters to suffer the way I did!”
But given Arshad’s unconventional career-path, as opposed to other vocations that society deems ‘suitable’ for women, has she ever felt out of place in this largely male-dominated field?
“That’s just a perception,” she says matter-of-factly, “We get the same respect and protocol just as any other police officer or commando in the force – there aren’t any gender issues here. Besides, why shouldn’t women be given the same amount of respect as men? Just because we’re women? Of course not. If I’d felt unsafe or faced any issues in the force, I would have left immediately. Nothing is more important than one’s self-respect.”
And her brothers, how did they react to her joining the elite police? “They love what I do,” she grins, “They’re incredibly proud of me and super supportive. You know how it is, brothers can be so over-protective sometimes, but they have a lot of trust in me. Even if I walked into a group of thousands of men, they know that I can keep myself safe.”
With duties that usually revolve around VVIP movements or special raids, Arshad laughs when asked if she’s experienced harassment in public. “When I’m in uniform no one dares say anything to me; sure they stare, even the females…but we get a lot of respect from the public.”
Hoping to sit for her CSS exams in the near future, Arshad mentions that young women ought to seriously consider the police force as a viable and exciting career choice.
“It’s different and not a typical, run-of-the-mill job. Anyone can do office work, but a job in the forces is tough and a great challenge. It’s different. You stand out from the rest.”