Open forum Solution to problems of minorities, transgenders assured

MANSEHRA: The district administration in collaboration with the Saibaan development organisation has organised an open forum for members of minority communities and transgender persons here on Tuesday.

The transgender persons, representatives of Hindus and Christians from Mansehra, Balakot and Oghi teshil attended the forum where representatives of the public and private departments were also in attendance.

“The Khyber Pakhtun-khwa government is going to amend the Transgender Persons Protection and Rights Act 2018 shortly and we would incorporate such issues, which are still required to be legislated to address the core issues faced by the minorities and transgender persons,” Additional Deputy Commissioner Nazima Shaheen told the forum.

The members of the minority communities, including Padri Haroon and Darshan Lal, raised issues of graveyards, community’s hall and temples and churches.

“A piece of land adjacent to Shivelinga temple in Ghandian is enriched by the locals and district administration should retrieve it from land grabbers for the construction services areas and lavatories for the devotees coming on religious festivals,” Lal said.

The ADC Ms Shaheen said that district administration was set to acquire land for the graveyards, and community centres and they could use tehsil municipal administration’s halls without any charging henceforth.

“We would also provide basic and higher education to transgender persons free of cost at Hazara University and regular public schools and they should apply for it,” she added.

The Saibaan’ managing director Sahibzada Jawad Alfaizi said that his organisation was highlighting the issues of minorities and transgender persons through the Awaz forum.

The transgender persons’ association chairperson, Nadra Khan, raised various issues.

Her community was told by the officials that a piece of land was being acquired to build the first ever transgender persons housing colony.

Dr Umair, the deputy medial superintended of King Abdullah Teaching Hospitals, told the forum that transgender persons were being provide all healthcare facilities and they could even get the HIV tests free of cost.