Separate room in OPDs for transgender people ordered

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed the Punjab government to arrange a separate room in OPDs of all public hospitals of the province for the treatment of transgender community members.

The court issued the order on the petition moved by advocate Ishtiaq Chaudhry, and also sought recommendations from Health Department for the sake of providing best facilities to the transgender.

The petitioner argued that transgender people were being denied medical facilities at the public hospitals. He said Supreme Court had already issued an order to reserve a separate ward and room in OPD for transgender people in public hospitals, however, the same had not be complied with so far.

The court remarked that transgender people are the useful citizens and creature of God Almighty. Transgender people could be born to any couple. Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi deferred the hearing till September 27.

court employees: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed the Punjab government to also include employees of the court’s establishment in policy of house hiring/alternate house ceiling allowance if official residence was not allotted.

Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi was hearing a petition moved by LHC deputy register Muhammad Akmal Khan challenging unavailability of house hiring/house ceiling facility for the employees of the court.

During the hearing, additional chief secretary made his appearance as being summoned by the court. Justice Qureshi asked the secretary whether the employees of the LHC were orphans as they were ignored in the house requisition policy. The judge directed the secretary to also apply the policy on the employees of the court or he would strike down the whole policy. The judge gave ten days to the government for the assignment.

Earlier, petitioner’s counsel pleaded that in 1997 the government framed a new policy for official residence for employees of civil secretariat, Punjab assembly and the high court. However, he said, the government later introduced house hiring or alternate house ceiling facility allowance to the employees of the secretariat only while employees of the LHC were totally ignored. The petitioner said he applied for government residence in year 2000 but no such accommodation had been given to him or other employees so far.