KARACHI: In a landmark appointment, a female sub-inspector in Karachi was elevated to the position of Station House Officer (SHO) on Tuesday, DawnNews reported.

Sub-inspector Ghazala Syed took charge as SHO of a police station in Karachi’s Clifton area.

Syed was appointed to the post today on the directives of the Additional Inspector General.

The police employ a large majority of men in Pakistan, where women are rarely encouraged to pursue a career in police.

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Women comprise less than 1 per cent of the total police force in Pakistan, according to 2012 data by the National Police Bureau.

The ratio is much lower as compared to other developing nations in the region, with Afghanistan the only other SAARC country with under 1 per cent female employment in police.

In India, women constitute approximately 6.6 per cent of the police force; 5 per cent in Nepal; 3.5 per cent in Bangladesh; and 5.3 per cent in Sri Lanka.