Transgenders to get identity in census, LHC told

LAHORE: The transgender would be given separate identity in the upcoming census as all arrangements in this regard have been made, the Lahore High Court was told on Monday.

In a reply before the court on the petition filed by a transgender, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics through its director (litigation) submitted that a separate code had been assigned to the transgender for their identity.

All the trainings to the field staff for enumeration of transgender population during census would be imparted accordingly, he added. The director added that date processing technique had been developed to segregate transgender population from the rest.

The summary results, on which the description of the census would be received, had also been emended, he said. He submitted that the issue had already been taken care of and the court direction would also be followed in letter and spirit.

After going through this report, LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah disposed of the petition. The petitioner, Waqar Ali, had requested the court for directions for enforcement of fundamental rights of his community, including enrolment in upcoming census and national identity cards with mentioning the gender.

He submitted that the transgender community had been marginalised as an event witnessed in Sialkot where a transgender was maltreated. The petitioner stated that being transgender they were not respected by society and even their parents did not own them due to social pressure and stigma.

He said the transgender community should be allowed to mention their gender in national identity cards and they must be registered in census. The petitioner asked the court to direct the federal government to legislate on welfare of transgender community keeping in consideration its obligations under international conventions on civil and political rights ratified in 2010. He also sought protection for the transgender community in performance of religious obligations like Haj and Umrah.