First transgender person gets driving licence in Islamabad

Islamabad police have issued driving licence to transgender person, who started driving fifteen years back, first of its kind in the federal capital.

The Islamabad police issued the licence to Ali Laila, leader of the transgender community on MOnday.

Laila is the president of the Awaz Shemale foundation in Rawalpindi.

She told that her father taught her how to drive in 2000 and she has been regularly driving in the twin cities without a licence for fifteen years now.

The licence was issued after administering all practical driving tests.

This was the first time in the federal capital that police has issued a driving licence to a transgender person.

After receiving the driving license, Ali Laila was delighted and commented, “Today I am happy after getting the license. This development will pave way for other members of my community."

On the orders of Supreme Court of Pakistan, Laila was issued a national identity card with gender marked ‘X’.

Earlier in March, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police issued driving licences to 30 transgender persons based on their self-assumed gender identity and existing Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC) documents.