Pakistani woman becomes first Muslim to be appointed as Scotland Yard detective Superintendent
Shares
LONDON – A woman of Pakistani origin has made history as she became the first Muslim and Asian to be appointed as detective superintendent of Scotland Yard.
Shabnam Chaudhri has been honoured by the Metropolitan Police Service in Britain for her ‘outstanding contribution’ to the fight against hate crime.
The woman, who hailed from Karachi, was just two years old when she moved to England with her parents and joined the force in 1989 in London against the wishes of her family.
Her parent wanted her to marry and have children like an ordinary woman, but Chaudri opted to go with her dream of doing something in life.
She said that after some time the parents were proud of her when they saw her fighting crime and helping people.
There were few Muslim and Asian women in the police when she joined as the women with this background avoid being part of it, she said.
Inspired by slain Pakistani political leader Benazir Bhutto, Chaudri urged women to apply for the police jobs and work hard for recognition and rights.
At the rank of detective superintendent, she is the only Muslim woman in the Met police nationally. Chaudri struggled for six years to reach this position and suffered attacks during the career while fighting crime gangs.
