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Outlook: Murder she solved: Karachi’s pioneering police surgeon

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Summaiya Syed in her office

05/03/2024 GMT

Murder she solved: Karachi’s pioneering police surgeon

BBC World Service - Outlook, Murder she solved: Karachi’s pioneering police surgeon

Summaiya Syed on facing misogyny and shaking up forensic investigation across Pakistan

How Summaiya Syed – the first woman to be chief surgeon for the Karachi police – is standing up to misogyny and shaking up forensic investigation across Pakistan.

As a child in Karachi, Summaiya Syed always dreamt of being a detective. Her inspiration was the TV show Murder, She Wrote. But as woman in 1980s Pakistan, Summaiya’s opportunities were limited. So she tried another path – becoming a doctor and working with the police as a medical officer. Summaiya was thriving as a forensic specialist and would eventually be appointed the chief surgeon for the Karachi police, the first woman to serve in the role. The job was gruelling enough, but Summaiya also had to contend with harassment. How she stood up to misogyny – and won.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Maryam Maruf

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Summaiya Syed in her office. Credit: BBC)

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