ISLAMABAD, May 16: Women police officers should be provided level-playing field by giving them appropriate training and empowering them.

Niaz Ahmad Siddiqui, former IGP Punjab, said this on Wednesday while addressing a seminar ‘Women police as change agents and gender-based police reforms’ organised by   Individualland Pakistan with the support of Royal Norwegian Embassy.

He said: “The police high-ups have always considered women police officers as supportive unit of the department that discourages them to compete with their male colleagues.”

The event was part of a year-long initiative of Individualland Pakistan. Three different publications and a documentary were also launched on the occasion.

The former police chief suggested that the women should have increased quota in the police and should not be regarded as supportive force as it was high time to give more representation to women in police departments for ensuring a peaceful society.

Tahira Yasub, DSP Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) said that in spite of challenges and problems of various natures, the women police personnel had excelled and were now serving at all levels. She said that the women police should be provided with proper training and facilities.

Farooq Azam, DIG (Operation) National Highways & Motorway Police (NHMP) on the occasion said that the implementation of harassment at workplace law and confidence-building measures for the female police officers should be ensured. He also stressed proper representation to women in police departments.

Fozia Waqar, a researcher said that there were flaws in the police system of Pakistan because it was still being run by command and control model. “There is a need to introduce citizen-centric policing in the country and the women should also be at the helm of affairs,” she said.Serving women police officers from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Punjab had been invited for the discussion in order to know the problems being faced by women police officials.