In Saba Shawl, Srinagar central jail gets its first woman head

Hailing from Pir Bagh locality in Srinagar, Shawl, 40, holds a master’s degree in social work and cleared prestigious Kashmir Public Service Commission examination in 2012. Prior to her latest appointment, Shawl served as staff officer to the director general (prisons).

Saba Shawl has been appointed as the superintendent of the Srinagar central jail, becoming the first Kashmiri woman to head the Union Territory’s biggest high-security correctional facility.

Saba Shawl has been appointed as the superintendent of the Srinagar central jail, becoming the first Kashmiri woman to head the Union Territory’s biggest high-security correctional facility. (HT Photo)

The J&K home department order, issued on Monday, posted four officers as superintendent of jails, with Shawl being assigned the Srinagar central jail.

Hailing from Pir Bagh locality in Srinagar, Shawl, 40, holds a master’s degree in social work and cleared prestigious Kashmir Public Service Commission examination in 2012. Prior to her latest appointment, Shawl served as staff officer to the director general (prisons). She has also served as a public relations officer in the J&K prisons department.

According to reports, her professional career began as a senior community development consultant. She then worked with the Indo Global Social Service Society that targeted grassroots social work and capacity-building initiatives.

Officers who know her said that she is well versed in her job. “She holds tremendous experience, though it will be a challenging job for her but she knows the department very well,” an officer said, who did not want to be named.

In the past, the facility housed foreign militants and top separatist leaders. However, most of them have been now shifted to another high-profile prison — Kot Bhalwal in Jammu.