Women in the Pakistan Armed Forces

Be prepared to train the women in combat..... Islam doesn't want women to be shut up and never see fresh air

— Muhammad Ali Jinnah, c. 1940s[9]

In 1948, the first lady of Pakistan Begum Ra'ana took the lead in starting the women's voluntary service in 1948 to support the medical and logistics for the Pakistan Armed Forces engage in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1947.[10] This led to the formation of a women's unit in the Pakistan Army Corps of Medical; a first attempt was also made in introducing the combat training program for women but such attempts were dismissed by General Frank Messervy.[10] In 1949, the first lady took personal initiatives and established her own Pakistan Army Women National Guard (WNG) with a few combat courses introduced. The unit's first OC and chief controller was Begum Ra'ana, with the rank of brigadier.[10]

In the 20th century, women were restricted from participating in active duty combat operations, although a sizable unit of women soldiers was deployed in hostile areas to support the medical operations only.

In 2002, Shahida Malik was promoted to two-star rank and was the first female Major General. Shahida Badshah was the second woman to be promoted to Major General.

In 2015, brigadier Nigar Johar, became the first woman to command in the history of the Pakistan Army. She was given command of multidisciplinary tertiary care hospital. In 2017 she became the third woman in Pakistan to reach the rank of major general. She belongs to the Army Medical Corps.[11] She has been appointed as the Vice Principal of Army Medical College Rawalpindi as a Major General.[12]

Lieutenant Colonel Shahida Akram Bhurgri, of Pakistan Army Medical Corps, is the first female doctor from Sindh to be commissioned in the Pakistan Army.

Apart from the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and the post-1971 war, due to a growing need for ground forces, women were needed in roles in the field.[13] The manpower shortages spurred the army to allow women to take part in fields related to medicine and engineering. Since its establishment, women have been historically barred from battle in the Pakistan Army, serving in a variety of technical and administrative support roles.[13] Since 2004, women have been trained in warfare, but are not part of any fighting formations.[14] Women who are appointed to high-ranking positions usually participate in medical operation planning.[15]

On 14 July 2013, 24 female officers in the Pakistan Army, mostly doctors and software engineers, successfully completed a paratroopers' course at the Parachute Training School, becoming the first group of women to do so in the military's history.[16]

In 2003, the PAF started a new combat programme by inducting women to be trained as fighter pilots.[17] In 2006, the first batch of women fighter pilots joined the combat services of the PAF.[17] The then vice chief of army staff General Ahsan Saleem Hyat handed certificates of honour to the successful men and women cadets in the PAF Academy.[17] Women fighter pilots the F-7 fighter jets and are trained in carrying out the bombing and aerial combat missions.[18]

The women in PAF also operate a feminist organization, the Pakistan Air Force Women Association (PAFWA), to promote women to join the PAF as combat pilots and to promote women's health in the Air Force.[19]

Flight Lieutenant Ayesha Farooq was the first Pakistani fighter pilot.

Flying Officer Marium Mukhtiar was the first female pilot of the PAF to die in a routine exercise.[20]