RAWALPINDI: Brigadier Helen Mary Roberts of the Army Medical Corps has made history by becoming the first female from the minority community to be promoted to the rank of one-star officer in Pakistan Army.
At a ceremony last year, Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir had commended the role played by the country’s Christian community in its development during a Christmas celebration at Christ Church in Rawalpindi. He praised their contributions to promoting quality education, healthcare and philanthropy, as well as their notable contributions to national defence.
The COAS expressed his profound respect for the Christian community and underscored the importance of fostering interfaith harmony to achieve Quaid’s vision of a united and progressive Pakistan.
The founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, while addressing the first Constituent Assembly of the country on August 11, 1947, said: “You are free, whatever religion, caste or creed you belong to has nothing to do with state affairs.”
On another occasion, the founder of Pakistan said: “Minorities shall be deemed to be citizens of Pakistan without distinction of caste, colour, religion or creed and shall enjoy all their rights and privileges and the rights of citizenship.”
The Pakistan Army made the same decree of the Quaid-e-Azam a slogan and today decisions are made in the Pakistan Army regardless of religious, linguistic and gender discrimination.
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Colonel Dr. Helen Mary Roberts became the first Christian woman to be promoted to the rank of Brigadier in the Pakistan Army. Brigadier Roberts has been serving as a pathologist in the Pakistan Army Medical Corps for 26 years.
Brigadier Dr. Helen Mary Roberts considers her promotion an honour to serve the country and the nation. She is a living example of merit without distinction in the Pakistan Army. Her promotion to higher ranks is a beacon of hope for the Pakistani Christian community.
Brigadier Helen Mary Roberts was among Pakistan Army officers promoted as brigadiers and full colonels by the Selection Board.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also especially congratulated Helen Mary on her promotion to the rank of Brigadier in the Pakistan Army. “I myself and the nation congratulates Brig Helen Mary Roberts on getting the honour of the first female from minority to be promoted as Brigadier in Pakistan Army,” he said.
He said the whole nation was proud of Brig. Helen and thousands of other hardworking women.
