Former information minister Fawad Chaudhry has sparked a heated debate on social media after he advised Pakistani women not to join the police force.
Chaudhry took to X and questioned why women were opting to join the police, quoting a post about Islamabad Chief Traffic Officer Kainat Azhar Khan. He added that most women are “completely useless as cops” and called it a “terrible career choice”.
His comment quickly drew strong reactions from journalists, activists, and ordinary social media users. Senior journalist Hamid Mir responded directly to Chaudhry and called out his remarks as an example of male chauvinism. Mir said he had seen the same kind of Pakistani men bowing down in front of female diplomats, pointing out a contradiction in Chaudhry’s view of women’s abilities.
Many social media users asked Chaudhry if he had any research to support his claim, while others questioned how the country would manage without women in the police force. Some users even questioned why Chaudhry chose politics as his own career.
Kainat Azhar Khan, the officer referenced in Chaudhry’s post, recently became the first woman to serve as Chief Traffic Officer in Islamabad. She and other women officers like Shehrbano Naqvi and Amna Baig have made notable contributions to policing in Pakistan, showing the growing role of women in law enforcement across the country.
