Feature: Role of women police in Kandahar

Kandahar City, Jan 27  : While wearing a police uniform, and busy with investigating cases of women in Kandahar police headquarters, 25-year-old Sadiqa, told Pajhwok Afghan News: "I have devoted myself to country service, and am ready to do best job even at the cost of my life."

Sadiqa said she joined women police forces some two years back and wanted to serve her countrymen. She said she was not a victim of any inferiority complex. The 25-year-old police official said she could perform her duty like male police officials.

This is not only Sadiqa, who is busy with policing, but number of women police in the provincial police headquarters has reached 20. Naqiba, another police official, said she had completed her training in women police academy and was now doing her job.

She said women police were doing her job shoulder by shoulder with male policemen. Naqiba said they were helping her male colleagues in home-search and other security affairs.

She said she was much pleased with her job. Despite insecurity and customs limitations, still some women are busy with policing in few provinces including the southern Kandahar.

Women police station at the provincial police headquarters was the only source of investigating the cases and crimes, dozens of women reach here for resolving their problems on daily basis. Palwasha, 32, while waiting to register her complaint, told this news agency: "If there was no women police, where we may go for resolving our problems."

She said she was helpless and all alone as her brothers and father had deprived her of property right. Another young girl, requesting anonymity, told this news agency: "I have come here along with my mother to resolve my problem." She said: "My father gave my hand to a married person in return of huge dowry. Now my husband treats me badly and also beats me."

She said her father had died some months back and thus she was compelled to contact women police station for help. Malaly Kakar, head of the women police station, said each day women were visiting them with complaints and they were trying to help them in resolving these problems.

She said: "Majority of the complainants are those women, who have been married in younger age, and now they are not pleased with their spouses." She said they were also having women prisons for investigating such cases and crimes. Malaly Kakar said they were investigating a case for three days and then gave their decision.

She said they sent the women to general prison once their crimes were confirmed. The senior police officer said though they were not equipped with arms, still they were performing their duties in the best of manner.

She said there were three women police officers in women police academy. Malaly Kakar said the women police were employed in different police stations after completing of their training in the academy.

She hoped number of the women police would be further increased in Kandahar in future. Large number of locals also want that number of the women police should be increased in the province. Dad Mohammad, 45, a shopkeeper, told this news agency: "Like lady doctors, women police are also needed in the province." Abdul Qayum, an official at Kandahar police headquarters, said male policemen would also not be able to perform their duties in efficient manner.

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SA/EN