Transgenders protest against killing of 2 community members in Pakistan

Members of the transgender community today staged demonstration against the alleged killings of their two colleagues in two days in northwest Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

The protests came following an alleged attack and torture of a member of the community in Mansehra area yesterday.

Apart from security for the community members, they also demanded appointment of an advisor to the Chief Minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on the transgender issues.

They also sought immediate notification of KP transgender protection policy, creation of an endowment fund for the welfare of transgender community as promised by the previous PTI government among others, said an official of a rights group advocating for transgender's rights in Pakistan.

President of TransAction Alliance, Farzana Riaz urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan to come to Peshawar and listen to their miseries and order stern action against police personnel who violates fundamental rights, abuse their power and act beyond their jurisdiction.

The rights group alleged that 479 incidents of violence and eight murders of transgender persons have taken place in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa in 2018.

"The Constitution has guaranteed that all citizens were free to move in and out of different areas of the country without any restriction," said Riaz.

Another transgender rights activist and a member of the National Task Force and CM committee on Rights of Transgender Persons in KP, Qamar Naseem said that the incidents of human rights violations against transgender persons in KP is the result of highly conservative and trans phobic culture that ostracises and stigmatises transgender people.

It poses a serious threat to their health, security, life expectancy and employment prospects, Naseem said, adding the community is vulnerable without legal protection.

"They are at a greater risk of violence, sexual and substance abuse. Most have little access to health services. Without recognition, many cases of violence and murder go undocumented," they claimed.