Laws to protect transgenders’ rights soon

PESHAWAR: Two women legislators of Pakistan People’s Party said on Wednesday efforts were being made to provide protection to the transgender persons in line with the Article 144 of the Constitution.

Senator Rubina Khalid and Member Provincial Assembly Nighat Yasmin Orakzai told a press conference here that resolutions had been tabled in the parliament in this regard.

They said two bills for the protection of transgenders had already been moved in the two houses of the Parliament.

The lawmakers added that the two bills — Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) bill jointly submitted in Senate by Senator Rubina Khalid of People’s Party,

Senator Kulsoom Parveen of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Senator Rubina Irfan of PML-Q and Senator Samina Abid of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and in the National Assembly by Naeema Kishwar of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2017 moved in Senate by Senator Farhatullah Baber and Rubina Khalid – had been referred to the relevant committees of the Senate for review and endorsement.

They said both bills were the outcome of a series of long and broad-based consultations with stakeholders, particularly representatives of the transgender community from across the country by National Commission of Human Rights (NCHR) and National Taskforce constituted by the office of the Federal Ombudsperson.

The legislators said the first bill covers various issues including inheritance rights, the right to education, employment, voting, holding public office, health, assembly, access to public places and fundamental right.

The second proposes action against the abduction of transgender people, sexual assault and criminal force with intent to outrage their modesty.

They said the bill also proposed strict action against the buying and selling of transgender people for prostitution and against rape.