Transgender Archives - Dissent Today https://dissenttoday.net/tag/transgender/ Speaking Truth to Power Fri, 19 May 2023 06:51:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Federal Shariat Court Nullifies Transgender Rights Act, Declares Principle Of Self Identity Unislamic https://dissenttoday.net/featured/federal-shariat-court-nullifies-transgender-rights-act-declares-principle-of-self-identity-unislamic/ https://dissenttoday.net/featured/federal-shariat-court-nullifies-transgender-rights-act-declares-principle-of-self-identity-unislamic/#respond Fri, 19 May 2023 06:51:11 +0000 https://dissenttoday.net/?p=4146 The Federal Shariat Court has nullified the landmark Transgender Protection of Rights Act 2018, ruling that transgender persons’ self-perceived identity is “repugnant” to Islamic injunctions. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2018 accords transgender citizens the right to self-identify and is among the more progressive transgender bills globally. However, the bill recently faced opposition […]

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]]> The Federal Shariat Court has nullified the landmark Transgender Protection of Rights Act 2018, ruling that transgender persons’ self-perceived identity is “repugnant” to Islamic injunctions.

The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2018 accords transgender citizens the right to self-identify and is among the more progressive transgender bills globally. However, the bill recently faced opposition from extremist quarters in the country, who consider it to be “un-Islamic”.

An individual’s gender shall remain the same as assigned at birth, the court said while nullifying all rules made based on the act.
Earlier, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) had also criticised the bill and said that “self-perceived identity” is un-Islamic.

The transgender community in Pakistan faces a number of legal and social issues, including incidents of violence and discrimination against members.

In its annual flagship report, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has said that at least 12 trans persons were murdered in 2022 in an “unprecedented blow to the human rights situation of minorities in the country”.

HRCP had also criticised Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) senator from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, for launching a bid to have the Act repealed for promoting ‘the legalisation of homosexual marriages’.

The HRCP had that Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan’s constituency has seen hundreds of murders and gruesome cases of violence against transgender people in the past few years. There were six attacks in March 2022 alone, leading to five fatalities. However, the authorities took no action against the culprits.

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]]> https://dissenttoday.net/featured/federal-shariat-court-nullifies-transgender-rights-act-declares-principle-of-self-identity-unislamic/feed/ 0 Transgender Speaker Stopped From Entering ‘Reimagining Pakistan’ Event In Karachi https://dissenttoday.net/news/transgender-speaker-stopped-from-entering-reimagining-pakistan-event-in-karachi/ https://dissenttoday.net/news/transgender-speaker-stopped-from-entering-reimagining-pakistan-event-in-karachi/#respond Mon, 13 Mar 2023 07:08:14 +0000 https://dissenttoday.net/?p=2233 Transgender activist Shahzadi Rai was stopped by university guards from entering the “Reimagining Pakistan” seminar that was held at Habib University Karachi where she was a part of the panel on Gender, Autonomy & Inclusivity. Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, his party colleague and ex-finance minister Miftah Ismail, […]

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]]> Transgender activist Shahzadi Rai was stopped by university guards from entering the “Reimagining Pakistan” seminar that was held at Habib University Karachi where she was a part of the panel on Gender, Autonomy & Inclusivity.

Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, his party colleague and ex-finance minister Miftah Ismail, and Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, who parted ways with the PPP recently, also spoke at the seminar.

Shahzadi Rai was part of the Gender, Autonomy & Inclusivity panel along with other human rights activists.

The transgender activist managed to enter the event after being denied entry from two university gates.

The transgender community in Pakistan faces a number of legal and social issues, including incidents of violence and discrimination against members.

Earlier, Pakistan’s first transgender news anchor Marvia Malik survived a gun attack outside her residence in Lahore.

According to Marvia Malik, she received threatening phone calls and messages from unknown numbers. She had also said that she had left Lahore out of fear for her life but had returned for surgery.

There have also been growing instances of politicians and celebrities openly passing discriminatory remarks against the community.

Last month, the Senate Committee on Human Rights substituted the word “transgender” with “khunsa (intersex)” in the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018. The move was strongly criticised by Human rights defenders.

Renowned Pakistani designer Maria B also uses her public platform to issue transphobic remarks.

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]]> https://dissenttoday.net/news/transgender-speaker-stopped-from-entering-reimagining-pakistan-event-in-karachi/feed/ 0 Pakistan’s First Transgender News Anchor Survives Gun Attack In Lahore https://dissenttoday.net/news/pakistans-first-transgender-news-anchor-survives-gun-attack-in-lahore/ https://dissenttoday.net/news/pakistans-first-transgender-news-anchor-survives-gun-attack-in-lahore/#respond Fri, 24 Feb 2023 06:53:43 +0000 https://dissenttoday.net/?p=1902 Pakistan’s first transgender news anchor Marvia Malik on Thursday night survived a gun attack outside her residence in Lahore. Netizens have condemned the incident, calling the attack the “direct consequence of hate speech” carried out by celebrities and politicians against the transgender community. According to Marvia Malik, she has been receiving threatening phone calls and […]

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]]> Pakistan’s first transgender news anchor Marvia Malik on Thursday night survived a gun attack outside her residence in Lahore. Netizens have condemned the incident, calling the attack the “direct consequence of hate speech” carried out by celebrities and politicians against the transgender community.

According to Marvia Malik, she has been receiving threatening phone calls and messages from unknown numbers. She also said that she had left Lahore out of fear for her life but had returned for surgery.

Marvia is a journalism graduate and has also worked as a model. She is also a transgender activist.

‘Direct Consequence Of Hate Speech’:

Netizens condemned the attack and said that it was a direct result of hate speech carried out by celebrities and politicians against the transgender community.

“News anchor Marvia Malik has just survived a gun attack. This is the direct consequence of the hate speech & incendiary words that the likes of Maria B, Senator Mushtaq or Youth Club use against the trans community. Your words can cost people’s lives. Say NO to transphobia.”


One social media user said that “society is becoming unbearable for transgender and minorities”.

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