Suhai Aziz Talpur
سُهائي عزيز ٽالپر
Born1988 (age 35–36)
Tando Muhammad Khan District, Sindh, Pakistan
Alma materZubaida Girls College, Hyderabad
Police career
CountryPakistan
DepartmentSindh Police
Service years2013–present
RankSenior Superintendent of Police (SSP)

Suhai Aziz Talpur (Sindhi: سُهائي عزيز ٽالپر; born 1988) is a Pakistani law enforcement officer, serving as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) since 2013,[1] the third Sindhi woman to serve in the police force of the country. Talpur was praised for her leadership role in foiling the November 2018 terrorist attack against the Chinese consulate in Karachi.

Early life

Suhai Aziz Talpur was born in 1988 in the Bhai Khan Talpur village of the Tando Muhammad Khan District, Sindh, Pakistan. Her father is Aziz Talpur, a political activist and writer.[2]

Education

Talpur graduated from the Fauji Foundation Higher Secondary School, and then joined the Bahria Foundation College, in Hyderabad. She obtained her Bachelor's degree from the Zubaida Girls College and her Master's in Economics from the University of Sindh, Jamshoro. She undertook certificate courses in Chartered Accountancy at the Al-Hamd Academy, Hyderabad, and the Skans School of Accountancy.[3]

When her parents enrolled her at school, most of their relatives started "taunting" the family. They eventually left the village and moved to a nearby town.[2]

Career

Talpur is the first female from the Lowland plateau of Sindh to reach the rank of ASP in the Pakistan Police Services.[2]

On 13 August 2013, an attack with explosives, claimed by a banned nationalist outfit, took place at Hyder Chowk Hyderabad, killing one person. Thirty-five locations within the city were declared "sensitive" and some seventy-five checking points were set up, manned by the police, including police commandos, and Pakistan Rangers paramilitaries, while the police intensified patrols in all Hyderabad. ASP Suhai Talpur was appointed in charge of Police Headquarters and related security arrangements, until the end of Independence Day celebrations.[4]

In 2017, she was placed in charge of the investigation at Sindh Varsity Common after allegations of sexual harassment were submitted by girl students against teaching staff.[5]

In 2018, she announced police raids in areas of Jamshoro against organized gangs involved in theft and drug trade, and she stated that there would be "no leniency" for criminals in "a city of education."[6]

2018 Karachi Chinese consulate attack

Main article: 2018 Karachi Chinese consulate attack

On 23 November 2018, three armed separatists who oppose Chinese investment in Pakistan killed two Pakistani policemen guarding the consulate of China in Karachi. The attackers then tried to enter the building using explosives[7]

Talpur, as senior superintendent of the Karachi Police, led police units to the scene, as well as the bomb disposal squad and firemen.[8] She was the first senior officer to reach the scene.[9] She organized and led the two-hour battle that followed, in which all three attackers were killed.[10][11][12]

According to Reuters, her actions during the assault on the diplomatic mission have been praised "for saving countless lives." A photograph of her carrying a pistol and surrounded by commandos has attracted much attention on social media in Pakistan and China. She has also been nominated for Pakistan's Tamgha-e-Quaid-e-Azam medal, the first woman to receive this nomination.[13][14]

Wider significance

Suhai Talpur's entrance in the Pakistani police force and subsequent rise in its hierarchy are considered as important events[2] in a culture where woman police officers are rare.[13] Before her, only two women from Sindh had been accepted in the police.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Woman from Village to be the First Female ASP". Awami Web. 2013-10-12. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e Tunio, Hafeez (11 October 2013). "Dedicated public servant: First female ASP from lower Sindh ready to clean house". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  3. ^ Iqbal, Waqas (13 August 2016). "10 Questions with Suhai Aziz Talpur First Woman ASP from Lower Sindh". Jahangir's World Times. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  4. ^ "Independence Day: Security stepped up in Hyderabad, Sukkur". The Express Tribune. 13 August 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  5. ^ "Sexual Harassment of Girl Students at Sindh Varsity Common: Inquiry Starts on SC Order". The Lahore Times. 13 August 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Jamshoro police arrest 6 wanted criminals from different areas". OnlineIndus. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Karachi attack: China consulate attack leaves four dead". BBC. 23 November 2018.
  8. ^ Masood, Tooba (2018-11-24). "ASP Suhai wins praise for heroic role during Chinese consulate operation". Dawn. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  9. ^ "One does not feel scared in police uniform: Suhai Aziz". The News International. Retrieved 26 November 2018. SSP Suhai Aziz led the operation from the front and was the first to reach the consulate.
  10. ^ "Here is how this Karachi woman police officer foiled a terrorist attack - Who is Suhai Aziz Talpur?". The Economic Times. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  11. ^ "SP Suhai Talpur: The woman on the frontline of Chinese consulate operation". The Express Tribune. 23 November 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  12. ^ "ASP Suhai Aziz led operation to foil attack on Chinese consulate". Pakistan Today. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  13. ^ a b Hassan, Syed Raza (25 November 2018). "Pakistani woman police commander led defense of Chinese mission". Reuters. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  14. ^ "Chinese social media falls in love with SP Suhai Talpur, literally". The Express Tribune. 25 November 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2018. IG Sindh Kaleem Imam has asked for Talpur to be conferred with the Tamgha-e-Quaid-e-Azam medal. She is the first female officer whose name has been recommended for the award. Since the attack a picture of Talpur holding her pistol, flanked by commandos, has gone viral on social media in Pakistan.
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