Balochistan Gets Its First-Ever Female Deputy Commissioner

The Government of Balochistan appointed the province’s first female Deputy Commissioner (DC), Engineer Ayesha Zehri, on Tuesday.

This is the first time in the administrative history of the province that a female officer has been appointed the DC of any of its districts.

Zehri’s relentless efforts to ensure relief efforts in Balochistan as an Assistant Commissioner (AC) led her to replace Muhammad Hussain as the DC of Naseerabad. He was removed from the post for his poor performance during the recent floods in Balochistan.

The new DC is an electrical engineer with a degree in Electrical Engineering from Khuzdar Engineering University. She joined the Water & Power Development Authority (WAPDA) as a Sub Divisional Officer (SDO), after which she took the provincial services examination in 2017 and joined the provincial government’s irrigation department.

Zehri was a Deputy Secretary in the department prior to serving as an Assistant Commissioner.

The provincial Services and General Administration (S&GAD) issued a statement announcing Zehri’s appointment as DC, and the provincial Chief Minister, Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, congratulated her in a tweet along with an image of the notification.

خواتین معاشرے کا اہم حصہ ہیں۔خواتین کو بااختیار بنانا اور انکی صلاحیتوں سے بھرپور استفادہ کرنا ہماری حکومت کی ترجیحات میں شامل ہے ۔صوبے میں پہلی خاتون افسر کی بحتیت ڈپٹی کمشنر تعیناتی صوبے کی خواتین کی صلاحیتوں پر اعتماد کا اظہار ہے ۔عائشہ زہری کی مزید کامیابیوں کے لیۓ دعا گو ہوں pic.twitter.com/s59BwVO86y

— Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo (@AQuddusBizenjo) September 6, 2022

He said that Zehri’s appointment is proof of the confidence in the abilities of Balochistan’s women and that it is the provincial government’s priority to make sure that Balochistan can benefit from their efforts.

Zehri has already proved her mettle during the flood relief operation as the AC of Mach. She worked alongside the Balochistan Levies personnel to rescue passengers stuck between Bibi Nani and Pinjra Bridge. Taking note of Zehri’s efforts, even Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended her during his visit to Balochistan last week.