Peshawar, December 11, 2016: The first Pakistani female to join the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) is a 29-year-old woman from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the restive province that frequently witnesses terror attacks.

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According to PTI, Rafia Qaseem Baig joined the police force seven years ago as a constable; she will be working in BDU after completing the 15-day training along with 31 other male members at Nowshera's School of Explosive Handling.

During her training session, she will be learning about the types of bombs, their identification and the ways to defuse them.

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Rafia belongs to a highly educated family, she said that a blast seven years ago, near a sessions court motivated her to join the force.

She completed her post-graduation in International Relations and then pursued another master's degree in Economics and also worked at International Rescue Committee and there she developed a knack for law and enrolled in an LLB programme that is currently under way.

Given her academic qualifications, she got job offers from various companies and also from non-government organisations. However, Rafia chose to join the police force in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

According to PTI, "After her appointment, she was asked to undergo training sessions in areas including Adezai, Michni and Salman Khel in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. These were the declared red zones at that time."

Rafia spent 10 days patrolling these localities with a large number of male police personnel.
She was also the only female member of an investigation team that rescued physician Dr Intikhab Alam of Lady Reading Hospital, 48 hours after his abduction in 2010.

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She says, "The police force is not just a profession. It's a passion and inspiration for those who have a spirit of devotion for the country."

by NewsGram team with PTI units