National Transgender Day: FO committed to protecting transgender person’s right

News Desk

Islamabad: In a first, Federal Ombudsman on Friday celebrated Transgender Day with the aim to protect transgender persons’ rights in collaboration with the Transgender Rights Consultation Pakistan

The event was attended by Ambassadors of Denmark HE Lis Rosenholm, many signatories from the US Embassy, Australian Embassy, British High Commission, and officials from the ministries, national commissions, and Trans’ representatives from across the nation.

Federal Ombudsman Kashmala Khan said that we are here to open the 1st roundtable in Pakistan. We need to make them mainstream, as Pakistan is one of the top 12 countries acknowledging trans identity.

“They are all from us; we can feel their pain of marginalization. Before the law, there wasn’t a specific law for trans; the person category includes trans. FOSPAH is ready to treat trans cases. The majority of the time, they face discrimination from the police department.”

Transgender Rights Consultants Pakistan Executive Director Nayyab Ali said that Pakistan is a torchbearer of trans rights worldwide, withholding a most progressive law, with self-perceived identity and all the entitled rights. We are celebrating May 25^thto commemorate the sacrifice of Alisha on May 25^th, 2016.  She added, “I will pledge with all of your inclusion, including both cisgender and transgender.”

Director of Operations Sherkan Malik Moderated the high-level roundtable discussion. He endorsed the role of cisgender people in scaling up the living standard of the transgender community in Pakistan.

Farzana Jan: we are thankful for our participation. I am hopeful for the progressive growth of the transgender community in Pakistan. It is due to Alisha’s sacrifice, whose brutal death has motivated us all within and outside the country.

This one Alisha has created many Alisha as an activist. She was brutally murdered due to her activism. Alisha is an excellent example for us; uniting us all in front of government and policymakers. Nobody knew us before this incident; we have gained much recognition after her sacrifice. We want the same respect, livelihood, and shelter facilities provided to all human beings in Pakistan.

SSP Islamabad Police Syed Mustafa Tanveer said that the State’s role should be a strong one. The SSP said that the trans community is the most substantial community in the country, genetically, physically and emotionally. “I have seen what they have gone through; a salute to all of you—facing torture but still the strongest,” he added.

“In 2013, a complaint came to raid a birthday celebration of the trans community. I stopped this action; people were jealous of it. There is a lack of acceptance for the trans community in our nation,” he observed.

The police always stood with the citizens of Islamabad. The leadership does things based on society; it’s our social responsibility to care for the citizens. Very few people were arrested during the beggary operation.

We need a quota system for the transgender community in Pakistan. We can’t treat them under normal circumstances, the police officer maintained.