ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday congratulated Brig. Helen Mary Roberts after she became the first Christian female officer to achieve the senior army rank in the 76-year history of Pakistan.
The military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), confirmed that Brig. Roberts of the Army Medical Corps had been promoted to her new position in response to an Arab News query.
Women have been integral to the medical corps for decades and have more recently begun to join combat divisions as soldiers. Several other members of minority religious communities are also affiliated with the Pakistan military on different ranks.
“Brig. Helen Mary Roberts has proven through her hard work that Pakistani women are no less than men in any field,” the prime minister said in a statement released by his office.
“The entire nation, including the Pakistani Christian community, is proud of Brig. Helen Mary Roberts and thousands of other hardworking women from the minority community,” he added.
Sharif said Brig. Roberts would be an inspiration for the new generation of women through her dedication, commitment and passion for humanity.
Muslim-majority Pakistan has strived for religious inclusivity in recent years amid continuing social challenges for minority communities.
Last year, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir 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, health care and philanthropy, as well as their notable contributions to national defense.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain instructed the country’s Hajj welfare staff in Saudi Arabia on Saturday to proactively guide pilgrims in various Pakistani languages, ensuring that these religious devotees can perform their spiritual journey as conveniently as possible.
Hussain issued this instruction during an orientation session held by Pakistan’s Hajj mission in the kingdom to familiarize support staff in Makkah with the pilgrims’ needs.
According to official statistics, Pakistan has decided to employ 550 individuals to assist pilgrims during this year’s Hajj, not including the doctors and paramedics providing medical facilities to Pakistani pilgrims in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.
The minister emphasized the need for effective communication, asking the Hajj mission to deploy guides fluent in different Pakistani dialects at the Grand Mosque and other sacred places.
“This move will enhance the experience of pilgrims and help them navigate the area with comfort, given Pakistan’s multicultural nature and linguistic diversity,” he said.
He urged the Hajj mission to ensure the pilgrims were provided with the best possible facilities and services during their stay in the kingdom and to show greater compassion and empathy toward them.
He also instructed the guides to be deployed at bus stations to facilitate pilgrims’ commutes from one point to another.
Hussain further asked the Hajj welfare crew to perform their responsibilities with devotion, highlighting that serving the pilgrims was a “sacred duty.”
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and requires every adult Muslim to undertake the journey to the holy Islamic sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime if they are financially and physically able.
Pakistan has a quota of 179,210 pilgrims. The annual Islamic pilgrimage is expected to take place from June 14 to June 19 this year.