In 1994, Karachi was a place of gory violence: targeted violence, torture cells, kidnappings, and sexual violence would define and dictate the city`s politics and policing.

In such troubled times, Lubna Tiwana was posted as a station house officer (SHO) in one of the city`s most troubled localities, Malir. In the 22 years since, she has been a pillar of support for women in distress as well as those who aspire to be policewomen.

Fifty-year-old Lubna Tiwana first joined the police force as an inspector in 1994; there were fewer women in the police force but Tiwana`s family was supportive. She was posted at the Women`s Police Station in Saddar and soon after transferred to the Malir Police Station (PS) as a SHO. Here, the then-30-year old jumped headfirst into handling women`s troubles and filing cases on domestic affairs.

`Solving family matters is difficult,` Tiwana says. On the one hand, the women`s police station proved to be an important support system for women who were in trouble or seeking help. `Women can easily talk to other women,` Tiwana says. But that alone was not enough.

Many cases involved a criminal who belonged to the same family, or was the complainant`s father or husband. Then the job comes with its own challenges.

`Problems for women are almost obligatory,` Tiwana says.

For one, working alongside men isn`t easy, especially in an environment where one has to constantly interact with criminals. `Male police officers adopt a certain manner,` Tiwana says, citing countless occasions of men using filthy, crude language around women often as an attempt to make them feel uncomfortable. `It becomes a way [for men] to threaten and harass women. Thana culture is difficult for women.

Then, there are hardly any accommodations made for women`s daily troubles. No transport is provided for women to travel back and forth, even when they work late hours for days on end. Married women like Tiwana have to leave their children and familial duties at home to manage their job, but unlike their male counterparts, they have the added pressure of balancing the two worlds.

`In accordance with the policy, we get three months of maternity leave,` Tiwana explains. `But after the three months, women are forced to leave their kids at home. They can`t give enough time to work because their attention is at home; they can`t take off either because they have to do a job.

Tiwana`s life might be a bit more organised now she gets to work at 9am, and tries to leave by 5pm but it is in no way less hectic. As the Federal Investigation Agency`s assistant director for international departures at the Jinnah International Airport, Tiwana says she deals with all kinds of people. It isn`t a problem for her; in her 15 years of working with the FIA alone, she has served under several of its wings, including the anti-human trafficking wing, the anti-corruption wing, the corporate crime wing, and the immigration wing, where she is currently posted.

She laughs when asked about the various awards she`s been awarded over the years. `Awards come and go,` she says, `When a case is successful... that`s when I`m really happy; when a victim gets justice and a criminal is thrown into jail.But her time on duty has taught her that successful cases require more than simply doing the job right. Once a case is filed, a simple intervention from an influential figure or out of court proceedings that rely on pressure and bribery can destroy all the hard work put in by the police. Tracking the criminal down is only the first step.

Tiwana remembers a murder case from a while ago which involved a domestic worker hired by a renowned TV anchor.

The worker`s daughter had teamed up with her husband to kill his first wife. They first cut her hair, then threw acid on her, then burnt her till she was no more. After a lot of difficulty, Tiwana managed to track down the criminal couple.

Justice could have been served, but then the anchor intervened himself he showed up at the station and got the arrested couple released.

`It`s exhausting,` Lubna says. `We do all this work, and a simple sifaarish disturbs everything.

But then there are other cases, where justice is served.

During her time as an SHO at the women`s police station, Lubna remembers a 17-year-old girl who was brought in by a male policeman. The girl had attempted suicide but was safe.

After talking to her and trying to get her to call home, Lubna discovered that the girl was being abused at home by her father-in-law.

In another case, a police inspector was found complicit in kidnapping his step-daughter and raping her. Lubna not only recovered the girl, but also registered an FIR against the police inspector and got him arrested.

`When the accused gets a sentence, I consider it a huge achievement,` Lubna says. She relates a case of child trafficking she is particularly proud of resolving: an eight month-old child was kidnapped from Saudi Arabia and was brought to Pakistan in the lap of a woman. Tracking the woman and the child down was difficult because their documents were forged, but when she finally made it happen, Lubna lodged an FIR and called up the child`s parents in Saudi Arabia. He was safely reunited with his parents.