Ration distributed among transgenders in ICT

Islamabad: In order to provide relief to the transgender community suffering silently due to lockdown, ration packages were distributed among the community members at an event organised at Pakistan Bait ul Mall.

Federal Minister of Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazari was the chief guest on the occasion. Total 250 ration packages will be distributed among the community. Addressing the community members, she said that it is the responsibility of the government to ensure rights of transgender community.

Talking about the steps taken by the government in this direction, she said that the ministry is working with all stakeholders on the effective implementation of law on the protection of transgender.

“Our government has established separate wards for transgender patients in PIMS hospital,” she said adding around one and a half year ago, the Ministry of Human Rights wrote letters to provinces to establish separate wards for the community in public hospitals but unfortunately the initiative was never implemented by the provincial governments.

She said that for the first time in history of the country, Aisha Mughal, a transgender who is working with Ministry of Human Rights, was included in official delegation to United Nations and represented case of Pakistan effectively in UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Aisha Mughal said that COVID-19 lockdown had a real bad impact on the transgender community. “We all are aware of the fact that sources of earning for transgender community members are very limited. Majority earns through performing at weddings or begging. Because of lockdown all around the country, there are no events and begging is also not allowed.” Aisha urged provinces to follow the same initiative and prioritize transgender community.