Speakers at the seminar on Tuesday emphasized the need to effectively implement laws to end the violence against the transgender community.
The seminar was arranged by the Peoples’ Development Foundation (PDF) and Pakistani Students’ Association (PSA) at York University to promote the rights of the transgender community, which was attended by people from all walks of life including parliamentarians, bureaucrats, police officials, lawyers, and journalists.
Notable activists of the Wajood Organization, Babli Malik, Aisha Mughal, and Prof. Raja Nadeem, who are also members of the transgender community also attended the seminar to provide a first-hand account of their issues. Member of the National Commission of Human Rights (NCHR) Manzoor Massey was also present to stress on equal rights of all minorities as Pakistani citizens.
PSA President Ms. Ujala Moin and PDF representative Aasman Bhutta through video link apprised the participants that the goal of this seminar is to raise awareness about transgenders and other minorities’ rights and help them earn their due respect from all segments of society.
“We believe this will help put an end to the sufferings of transgenders and other minorities,” said Ms. Moin and Bhutta.
Ms. Moin stressed the need of forming a network that will raise voice against transgender violence. She said that to create a society based on the principle of equality, there is a need to come together as a society.
Bhutta said that in the past PDF was able to enroll 800 individuals in the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP). “We need to put an end to the social inequality,” he said while stressing that all sections of the society need to contribute to this. He further suggested the need of adding gender studies to the curriculums of schools.
Ms. Mughal, in her welcome address, said that the law recognizing transgenders’ rights was passed in 2018 and became effective in 2020. She told, “In the past three years, more than 75 transgenders have been murdered in the province of KPK alone. This highlights the lack of implementation.”Representatives from Wajood Organization, also speaking to the guests, emphasized increasing awareness in the society and the implementation of guidelines issued by the NCHR. Transgender activist Babli Malik said that the society lacks awareness and empathy for transgenders due to which they are treated with hostility by other sections of the society.
She demanded transgenders’ representation in the policies related to them. Ministry of Human Right’s Transgender Expert Reem Shareef briefed guests about the situation of legal implementation and the steps that her Ministry has taken to improve it.
She said that there is a special need to raise awareness in the law enforcement institutions of the country. She said that a national implementation committee involving representatives from all the provinces has been formed to address this issue, and all institutions are being fully monitored.
DIG Islamabad Police Capt. (Retd.) Romail Akram acknowledged the need of raising awareness amongst police officers and training them to deal with transgender issues effectively.
He said that police can play a major role not only by training their officers but also by strictly enforcing laws against those involved in crimes against transgenders.
Assistant Deputy Commissioner Ms. Qurat ul Ain Malik, who was also present at the seminar, briefed guests about the steps that the city administration has taken to promote the education and awareness of the transgender community. She said that not only the government has permitted transgender to go for Hajj and Umrah using their previous passports, but they have also posted a transgender at the front desk to facilitate them better. Senator Fawzia Arshad said that parents need to be the first ones to accept their existence. Former Chief Minister, Pir Sabir Shah also attended the seminar and said that parents not only need to accept such children but also need to give them extra attention.
