All-women team marks new dawn in Sialkot’s administration
For the first time in Pakistan’s history, Sialkot district boasts an all-women administrative leadership, with female ACs and a DC heading all four tehsils
OH WHAT A COUNTRY!
July 25, 2025
SIALKOT is a city renowned for firsts: the district boasts Pakistan’s only privately built airport, hosts the headquarters of a privately owned airline, and now, it opens a historic chapter of female leadership in public governance. This vibrant industrial hub in Punjab, revered for its entrepreneurial spirit and dynamic energy, has taken yet another pioneering leap — this time in the corridors of public administration.
For the first time in Pakistan’s history, Sialkot stands as the nation’s trailblazer with an all-women team steering the district’s administration, defying conventions and showcasing women’s remarkable capacity to govern with distinction.
At the helm of this groundbreaking leadership is Saba Asghar Ali, who, on April 27, 2025, became the first woman ever appointed as the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Sialkot. The DC is the administrative chief of the district, responsible for steering the implementation of government policies, maintaining law and order, coordinating development efforts, and acting as the crucial liaison between the government and local populace. Saba’s ascendancy to this role marks a profound stride towards gender parity in one of Pakistan’s most industrious regions.
Saba Asghar Ali is no stranger to leadership in the public sector. A seasoned officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) holding a Grade-19 rank, she has a distinguished career spanning diverse administrative and policy-making roles at both provincial and federal echelons. Her leadership style is characterised by meticulous planning, transparency, and a profound commitment to citizen engagement.
Since assuming charge, she has spearheaded initiatives centred on education, healthcare, environmental sustainability, and public welfare—garnishing widespread praise from colleagues and communities alike.
Supporting her stewardship, each of Sialkot district’s four tehsils — Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial, and Pasrur — is led by women Assistant Commissioners (ACs), entrusted with responsibilities at a more localised level of governance. Their roles are pivotal in ensuring responsive and people-centric administration within their jurisdictions. The women officers leading these tehsils are:
Anam Babar, Assistant Commissioner of Sialkot
Sadia Jaffar, Assistant Commissioner of Daska
Ghulam Fatima, Assistant Commissioner of Sambrial
Sidra Sattar, Assistant Commissioner of Pasrur
Together, they represent a significant breaking of entrenched gender barriers, serving as inspiring role models nationally — especially in a field historically dominated by men. Their rise coincides with the wider ambitions of Punjab’s first female Chief Minister, Maryam Nawaz, reflecting a provincial commitment to enhancing women’s representation across public service.
To appreciate the structure of this governance: the Deputy Commissioner oversees the entire district’s administration, a vital nexus of coordination across governmental departments and public interfaces. Above the district is the division — comprising multiple districts — which is headed by a Commissioner. While the DC focuses on district-level governance, the Commissioner’s purview extends to policy supervision and harmonisation across the division’s constituent districts, elevating the strategic scope beyond that of the DC.
The historic all-women leadership in Sialkot echoes a broader narrative sweeping through Pakistan, where women have increasingly asserted their presence in civil services and armed forces alike. Female participation in federal and provincial bureaucracies has surged by nearly 20 per cent in the past decade, shattering longstanding stereotypes and affirming women’s ability to excel in senior government roles.
The women leading Sialkot’s administration are not mere symbols of progress; they are effective, strategic, and transformative leaders. Their stewardship delivers nuanced governance — blending attentiveness to public welfare with rigorous transparency and accountability. This narrative resonates deeply with their communities, underscoring a promising future where women, given opportunity and guidance, transcend societal limitations and lead with vision, integrity, and authority.
Sialkot, a city once celebrated for industrial innovation, has now become a beacon of gender equality in public administration; its example calls upon the nation to embrace diversity, empower its women, and reimagine governance for generations to come.