Plea For Protection Of Transgender Persons’ Rights
A transgender person has approached the Lahore High Court for the enforcement of her community’s fundamental rights, including enrollment in the upcoming census and issuance of national identity cards mentioning their gender.
Waqar Ali filed a writ petition through Advocate Sheraz Zaka pleading that the transgender community has been marginalised, citing a recent event witnessed in Sialkot where a transgender was tortured.
The petitioner states that for being transgender they are not respected by society and even their parents do not own them. He says the transgender community should be allowed to mention their gender in national identity cards and they must be registered in the census.
The petitioner asks the court to direct the federal government to legislate on the welfare of transgender community, keeping in consideration its international obligations under international conventions on civil and political rights ratified in 2010.
Previously published in DAWN and republished here with permission.
