The Punjab Ministry of Human Rights & Minority Affairs in collaboration with Sathi Foundation organized sensitization workshop for police officials on transgender rights protection in Punjab at Chung Police training center on Tuesday.
Provincial Minister HR&MA Ijaz Alam Augustine presided over the workshop and reviewed guidelines for police engagement with transgender persons and implementation of laws related to transgender.
Director HR&MA M. Yousaf briefed to the minister about draft guidelines, the procedures for law enforcement agencies such as the appropriate form of addressing transgender persons to procedures pertaining to detention and stop and search. The provincial minister said that the Punjab government under the leadership of Usman Buzdar is keen to ensure full participation and promotion of transgender persons’ rights.
He said that the protection of rights every community is the top priority of the Punjab government as promoting peace, religious harmony and tolerance in the society while the government is taking all possible steps for a peaceful environment across the province. He further said that the government of Punjab took special initiatives to ensure rights of transgender community and the purpose of the workshop was to implement guidelines for police engagement with transgender persons to the representatives of police department. Government of Punjab was ensuring the protection of the community while the Punjab government is going to table a bill of Protection in this regard in the Assembly.
The representative of Transgender Asad Nawaz Chaudhry said that the purpose of workshop is also to solicit feedback and comments from police officials to finalize the guidelines. She also acknowledged the efforts of MoHR intends to take in order to fulfill its commitment to the transgender community.
