A transgender woman is petitioning Pakistan’s High Court to demand better human rights
(Getty)
A transgender woman has petitioned Lahore High Court for better treatment of members of the transgender community.
Waqar Ali filed the petition with the help of trans advocate Sheraz Zaka. It calls on Pakistan to provide better protection for the transgender community in light a rise of attacks and abuse.
The petition said that being part of the transgender community led to less respect in society, which was not helped by blocked access to national identity cards.
The two demanded in the petition that the court would help the federal government create legislature on the welfare of those in the trans community.
They said the transgender community had been socially isolated but as a human being they equally deserve respect, honour and opportunities to excel in life in the country.
Ali and Zaka took on the Supreme Court by stating fundamental human rights were at stake, and stated the court has the ability to correct this and make trans citizens lives easier
The petition came ahead of enrolment for the country’s census and provision of identity cards.
They requested the court to inform the government to include a column in the census forms for the registration of transgenders so the government could allocate resources according to their numbers.
Earlier this month a 24-year-old woman filed a petition to the Lahore High Court to seek permission to have gender re-assignment surgery. Doctors in the country initially refused to perform the surgery without a court order.
Violence against the transgender community in Pakistan is rife right now.
Alesha, a transgender activist in Pakistan was shot multiple times by a gang member. When admitted to The Lady Reading Hospital, doctors failed to treat her injuries straight away.
The victim, Kashi, was shot in the thigh when three armed men broke into her home, in Mansehra, and attempted to rape her.
