Senate body recommends equal rights for transgenders

ISLAMABAD: Senate Special Committee on Marginalized Segments Friday recommended equal rights for transgenders in a meeting held at the Parliament House.

The committee said the transgender community should be equally treated like other citizens and they should be provided Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) accordingly.

Senator Nisar Muhammad headed the committee. Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid also attended the meeting.

Members of the committee including Senator Farhatullah Babar, Senator Sitara Ayaz, Senator Rubina Khalid and Senator Samina Abid were also present in the meeting.

The committee decided on the proposal of Senator FarhatullahBabar that in the next meeting the representatives of transgender community would also be invited in order to listen to their grievances and problems being faced by them in the society.

The committee decided that National Database andRegistration Authority (NADRA) officials would also be invited inthe meeting to discuss the matter related to transgender community CNICs.

The committee also asked the National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR) to brief it in next meeting about the overall performance of the commission.

The committee said the NCHR should brief the committeeabout the steps taken for the welfare of the marginalized section ofthe society including transgenders and Kalash community etc. 

The committee also expressed reservations over the performance of the NCHR.