Pakistan’s female commandos On the front line

As the clock strikes five on a chilly winter morning in Islamabad, about 60 ladies bounce to their feet. A slight bedlam softens out up the open, regimentally spotless and generally sorted out residence, each of which houses eight female officers of the Counter Terrorist Squad (ATS), commando division of the Islamabad Police — a number of these ladies joined the Islamabad Police for their underlying preparing and afterward volunteered to join the ATS. The officers change from loose shalwar qameez into their mark dark clothing in a practically synchronized development. Belts snap close and bands are tied hastily, trailed by an intentional headscarf or niqaab (shroud).



When prepared, guns are secured from the weapons room [MP5 submachine firearms and Glock self-loader pistols] and everybody heads to the transporter, which will drop and pick commandos from 13 beats (every beat or course covers two segments) in Islamabad secured by three movements. The ATS vehicle nearly trails that of the Punjab Officers — whose order is outskirt guarding and to protect specific divisions in what they call 'Operations Other Than War', peacekeeping missions and debacle alleviation operations — keeping up a separation of 100 yards all through. The female officers on this particular team have a place with various ethnic and religious foundations yet have met up to battle terrorism in the nation and are progressively turning into a power to figure with.

In equal stride

As indicated by data discharged by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in 2010, ladies first turned out to be a piece of the police power in the subcontinent in 1939 when seven female constables and a head constable were accepted to contain female instigators of a ranchers' development in Punjab. There was no huge change in numbers until 1952 when 25 constables, two head constables and a collaborator superintendant were enlisted.

A female ATS commando heading back to ATS headquarters.

The year 1994 saw the foundation of Pakistan's first ladies just police headquarters in Rawalpindi initiated by previous leader Benazir Bhutto. This was then duplicated in Abbottabad, Peshawar, Lahore, Multan, Karachi and Larkana. It was not long after this that ladies were drafted into a particular preparing project of against dread squads.

Crosswise over Pakistan, there are a sum of 14 police preparing schools, which are demographically separated as takes after: five are situated in Punjab, five in Sindh, three in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and one in Balochistan. The Balochistan wing of the ATS was built up in 1981 and was changed over to the Counter Terrorist Power in 1997. Besides the K-P police division enlisted its first clump of ladies police commandos as of late as November 2014.

Female commandos heading out for the second shift change of the day.

In Islamabad, the primary ladies just hostile to terrorism squad was set up in October 2001, after the occasions of 9/11 which prompted a high-security caution in the government capital. As per a report in a nearby daily paper at the time, 22 female cops and 10 graduate officers were prepared in hand to hand fighting, swimming, driving, shooting, bomb transfer, salvage operation and hostile to revolting to battle terrorism. As the security circumstance the nation over crumbled throughout the years, every region started to prepare its own female commandos. 

A tough calling

Boss Teacher Mohammad Akmal, who has been in this calling for a long time furthermore prepared female commandos from different nations, reviews what number of the present female coaches would peer over the gallery of their [Islamabad Police] sleeping shelter and watch the exceptional preparing being led in the neighboring grounds. "At first I was not certain if these young ladies would have the capacity to finish the mammoth run and circuit, yet they did and I am so glad for every single one of them," he says.

Battle preparing contains 90 days of exceptional and broad drills including ingrained instincts, prisoner salvage, counter terrorism systems, policing challenges and instances of abusive behavior at home, managing assault cases and administering post-mortems. The officers are required to be up at the break of day and begin their day with a one-hour run took after by physical preparing. A unit investigation — where uniform and different segments, for example, gas cover, cuffs, ballistic vest and stick are checked — kickstarts the second session took after by weapons preparing. "Nobody has neglected to graduate as they are committed and aggressive," includes Akmal.

An unlikely call to action


In spite of the fact that Hafiza Sarah Khan* had numerous customary openings for work in the wake of finishing her Lords degree, she joined the ATS commandos. Wearing the dark commando uniform was an essential inspiration for Khan, who had dependably been in wonderment of the Punjab Police Tip top Power. "I am one of nine kin yet the first and final one in the strengths," she says adding that she was pleased to bolster her family fiscally while tailing her fantasy.

Despite many cultural and societal stereotypes, many brave women have made the unusual choice of being part of an ATS squad.

Be that as it may, subsequent to the calling is thought to be a surprising decision for ladies and falls prey to numerous social and s0cietal generalizations, these officers are frequently gone up against with bizarre comments. "Case in point, a man once said, 'you resemble an impeccable lady, why might you need to dress like a man and do this work?'" offers one of the officers. In this way, it is basic to have the backing of your family, includes Khan. Raheela Ahmed's* first communication with female officers was likewise through a nearby television show. "I was so inspired by the female cop in the dramatization that I chose in that spot and after that to join the police power," she shares. A couple of years after the fact she saw a commercial in the daily paper, approached her dad for consent and has not thought back subsequent to. "I have likewise enlivened my sister and sibling to join the police power," Ahmed says gladly. "I cherish my work, my family and my nation. Thus, I don't harp on the danger element." Despite the fact that these brave officers forget about the danger calculate, their time on the field is no a drop in the bucket.


Face-to-face with death and danger

Individuals from the ATS are people on call, which involves being the first on the scene of a crisis, regular debacle or fear assault. In October 2005, when two extravagance loft tower obstructs in Islamabad were demolished to the ground as the aftereffect of a 7.6 Richter scale quake, ATS was the first to react to the occurrence. When the group got the news, its essential target was to get to the site and secure the region. "We were there inside five minutes," reviews Akmal. "I was a piece of a group that safeguarded nine individuals from the rubble, and I will always remember those snippets of franticness to spare more individuals."

Female ATS commandos boarding the transporter alongside their male counterparts.

As a major aspect of the ATS Commando Division's essential mission these exceptionally prepared people are additionally experts in prisoner protect and counter terrorism. At the point when a Fast Reaction Power is dispatched for an attack, it is the female ATS commandos who frame the bleeding edge and are the first to secure passage. Their male partners tail them. Sana Tahir* reviews one such medication attack led by four groups as a team with Islamabad Police in Saidpur Town. "We had encompassed a house. It was late around evening time so perceivability was low," she says. Tahir was one of the female commandos arranging with the general population inside the house until one of the ladies inside opened the entryway and the male inhabitants were captured. Female commandos are critical in such circumstances since male commandos are not permitted to touch ladies and just female officers can body look ladies. The male commandos likewise view the female wing as a benefit because of the one of a kind ability set they convey to the table. "Ladies are the delicate face of ATS. We [men] are forceful and now and then do not have the level of tolerance ladies have," says Saghir Anwar, an ATS commando. "It's about collaboration and they convey equalization to the group." 

Standing tall 

The ATS female commando proverb — 'Appreciation us, dread us' — couldn't be all the more fitting of these female commandos who are tremendously dwarfed by their male partners at present yet compensate for that with their high confidence and soul. Do they prepare close by men as well as are constantly prepared to go with them to any mission, as perilous or requesting as it might be. "We stand shoulder to bear close by our male partners," says 27-year-old Bushra Rehman*, a female ATS commando.

Female ATS Commandos start their day at the crack of dawn with intensive training and then set off to patrol the city.

DSP Akram Jappa who lance headed the enlistment of ladies into the ATS squad in Islamabad Police feels that their nearness is principal for the power to go from quality to quality amid this basic time in managing terrorism in Pakistan. "They are moms, sisters and little girls however we require them to be commandos as well," says Jappa. "They convey an alternate disposition to the ATS and are extremely compelling and focused on battling terrorism in our nation."

*Names of the commandos have been changed to protect their identity.