KP sees increase in violence against transgenders

PESHAWAR: The International Transgender Day of Remembrance was observed Tuesday amid an increase in violence cases against transgender persons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as three were raped and videotaped in the last 10 days. Three transgender persons were raped, of whom two were videotaped in Swabi and Peshawar. In Swat district, another transgender was raped on Monday. Police have registered first information reports in the two cases which happened in Peshawar and Swabi.

Peshawar, a rape victim, Adnani, told The News that the culprits first kidnapped her and later raped her. She said the culprits also videotaped the rape and circulated it on the social media.

The police registered the case. As per officials of the Khazana Police Station, six culprits were arrested in the case. Efforts are on to nab the remaining five accused. Bubli, another transgender from Swabi got registered an FIR against the culprits for raping her and then videotaping it.

Some two days ago, another transgender got registered an FIR at the Odigram Police Station in Swat. She claimed that she was kidnapped by over 20 men after performing at a musical programme and raped at gunpoint. The transgender community of Swat later staged a protest and demanded immediate of the culprits.

Farzana Riaz, President of TransAssociation KP, told The News that in some cases police took action, but the culprits then easily secured the release from the police custody. She said that is why violence and rape cases against transgender persons in KP had increased.

Taimur Kamal, a human rights and transgender rights activist, told The News that the recent incidents of transgender person gang rape had created a sense of insecurity in the province. On the other hand, he said the promise of security and protection by the government and police to the transgender persons had proved only a lipservice.

He said KP Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ghani had promised endowment fund for the KP transgender community but the pledge was yet to be honoured. He said Rs200 million allocated for transgender persons in the budget was not utilized. He further stated that the KP government issued Insaf Sehat Cards to transgender persons, but these were not working.