Sonia Shamroz, the first female DPO of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), says her husband helped her prepare for the Central Superior Services Exam (CSS).
In an interview with BBC Urdu, Shamroz opened up about the struggles and societal pressures she faced while preparing and appearing in the examination. She said that she confronted unpleasing comments from people who taunted her for dreaming to join government services while being a woman. But now that she has been appointed as the first female DPO of KP, people come to her with their problems, said Shamroz. They even ask for their daughters to be like her.
Hailing from Abbottabad, the DPO said her father and husband supported her throughout her journey. Her husband is also a CSS office who is serving in the FBR hence she did not feel the need to go to any academy for the preparation.
سونیا شمروز: ’لوگ طعنے دیتے کہ دیکھو اب خانوں کی لڑکی پولیس میں ملازمت کرے گی‘ https://t.co/xs0DsW2CGR
— BBC News اردو (@BBCUrdu) January 13, 2021
She said her husband and father-in-law encouraged her to join the police force when she cleared the examination.
Despite being born in a conservative society, she belonged to a progressive family. Shamroz said her parents never differentiated between them and their only brother. DPO informed that they are four sisters and one brother. All the siblings were taught in the same school. All her sisters are leading a successful professional life, said Shamroz.
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Shamroz asserted that she has been trained since her childhood to accept challenges and hence, she has worked tirelessly for her goals.
The police officer said her father was an active politician and a busy man during their childhood but gave full attention to their studies.
She said she could not clear her first attempt after which she got married. After her marriage, she cleared the second attempt following encouragement from her husband.
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She said her mother had expressed reservation on her joining her police force but she convinced her and joined with her permission.