Dr Quraish Khan

Dr Quraish Khan (MA Criminology and Criminal Justice, 2007) is an Assistant Inspector General in the Police Service of Pakistan with nearly 20 years’ experience in law enforcement.

In 2015, Dr Khan established the Peshawar Police Institute of Forensic Science, for which he received an award from the Inspector General of Police. In the same year, his policy paper on the role of UN peacekeepers as agents of cultural change in Pakistani policing was published by the United States Institute of Peace.

From 2019-2020, Dr Khan served as the District Police Officer for The Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan, establishing the district’s first women’s crime reporting centre. This was a continuation of the work Dr Khan did for the United Nations Development Program, where he helped to establish 65 police stations based on the concept of gender responsiveness and community-oriented policing. He is currently working to further strengthen gender responsive policing systems in Pakistan; his work in this space has been recognised by the UN’s #HeForShe movement as exemplary.

In 2023, Dr Khan was named as one of the finalists by the British Council for the Study UK Social Action award. In the same year, he won the Commonwealth Innovation Award for his work on gender responsible policing.

In 2024, he received the Pakistan Civil Award for his remarkable contributions to public service.

What are your happiest memories of your time at King’s?

The time I spent at the Maughan Library was full of inspiration. The Maughan building is always on my desktop to make me happy.

How have you stayed connected to King’s since graduating, and why is being part of your alumni network important to you?

I am still connected to my classmates and my teachers. Professor Ben Bowling was my research supervisor; he is a huge source of inspiration and support. He encouraged me to publish my dissertation as a book. My first book titled "Police Technophobia" was published in 2015.

What success stories have you had in your career?

Establishing the first ever women police reporting center in the tribal areas of Pakistan in 2020. It was a huge step towards female empowerment and introducing gender responsive policing to tribal communities.

How has the ability to understand and interact effectively with people from other cultures and/or backgrounds been important in your life or career?

I served in the United Nations Development Program for four years and have worked closely with people from ten different nationalities. I am also a former Hubert H Humphrey Fellow and spent one year in the US with a group of fellows coming from 25 different cultures. I am good at interacting with people from different backgrounds and love to work in multi-national and multi-ethnic environments.

What advice would you give to students/alumni for success in life after King’s?

Follow your heart, fill your niche. Choose a career path that motivates you.

To stay in touch with your alumni community, make sure to sign up for King’s Connect. It provides the most effective way for you to connect with King’s alumni, as well as presenting opportunities to boost your career through mentoring. Sign up today at kingsconnect.org.uk