Transgender persons accuse police of defying their rights

Shahzad Rasheed

The transgender community accuses Charsada police for denying them their rights and urged the government to implement the transgender act 2018 in letter and spirit that provide for protection, relief and rehabilitation of rights of the transgender persons and their welfare. 

Speaking at a press conference here at Peshawar Press Club, provincial General Secretary of Transaction, the association of transgender association, Arzoo alleged District Police officer charsada, Irfan Khan for his purposeful ignorance about the law and not permitting a transgender Sheeba Khan to celebrate a birth day party in Charsadda, for which they had acquired the prior permission of Deputy Commissioner.

She lamented, if police officers were not aware about the new law and rights about transgender community, what to say of general public that are alien to such laws and acts. She said, a committee was formed in the past in which Capital City Police officer Peshawar, Qazi Jameel had promised the community members for the protection of their rights, however nothing substantial was done in this regard, she deplored.  

Arzoo khan said, DPO Charsadda should clear his position on the whole issue because he is the representative of Police department and was supposed to establish the writ of the government.

Taimoor Kamal, a Coordinator of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society Network said, after the incident the District Police Officer was contacted about the incident. He further added, the police officer told him that there were some religious political parties in the area who were having strong reservations about the activities and music functions of transgender community. He lambasted the police role and called for the implementation of transgender act 2018 that ensures non-discrimination against the community members in educational institutions and hospitals.

The transgender persons appealed to Chief Justice Supreme Court of Pakistan, to take notice of the situation and order action against the officials of concerned police officials.