Transgender Community in KP Gets Formal Path to Social Welfare

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Peshawar: A standardized registration form has been introduced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to facilitate the enrolment of transgender citizens with the Social Welfare Department, aiming to improve their access to social protection programs, government welfare schemes, and relief initiatives.

The form has been launched through a joint collaboration between Blue Veins, the Social Welfare Department, the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), and the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).

He noted that while only 173 transgender persons currently possess NADRA’s officially designated X identity cards, 450 are registered with the Social Welfare Department — far fewer than the estimated 50,000 to 70,000 transgender population in the province.

He said difficulties in obtaining X cards from NADRA have kept many transgender persons out of official records. “The standardized registration is a step towards integrating them into the system and ensuring their access to government programs,” he added.

NCHR Provincial Coordinator Rizwanullah Shah highlighted that the transgender community faces multiple challenges, including lack of livelihood opportunities, security concerns, limited access to healthcare, and social exclusion.

He said proper data collection would support evidence-based policymaking to address these issues. “Most transgender persons lack identity documents and therefore cannot benefit from public or private welfare schemes,” he noted.

Deputy Director NADRA Shahid Khan welcomed the initiative and encouraged members of the community to register with NADRA to avail national-level welfare programs. He also offered mobile registration services at their homes or deras.

Additional Secretary Social Welfare, Umara Khan, said the initiative aims to bring the transgender community into the official system so they can fully benefit from government schemes, including job quotas and social protection measures.

Transgender representatives present at the event appreciated the step, expressing hope that the initiative would improve their access to the two percent job quota and other welfare opportunities.

Speaking on the occasion, Qamar Naseem said the new registration mechanism would help generate accurate data of the transgender population in KP.