Daily Times

PESHAWAR: A group of human right activists and transgender on Friday condemned the news regarding ban on transgender Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia. They demanded of the Saudi Ambassador to issue a clarification about the issue and show the reasons why ban was imposed on their pilgrimage. Addressing a press conference here at press club, Qamar Naseem, transgender activists said that few days ago the Saudi Government had with immediate effect instructed its consuls around the world to deny the visas to any transgender person. Homosexuality and cross-dressing, he said were viewed by the Saudi Government immoral act and treated a serious crime, adding that currently the Saudi Government handed out fines, prison sentences and public whipping for a first conviction for homosexuality while repeating the conviction for the second time automatically commands the death penalty. Flanked by Farzana Jan, president Transaction Alliance, Arzoo, general secretary, Taimur Kamal, Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society Network, coordinator and Zara Ali Khan and scores of transgender, he said that Saudi Arabia had formally banned transgender people from even visiting that country, a move coming on top of their long-standing ban on homosexuality. “But the Saudi Government needs to be gender sensitive because the gender identity of a person does not reflect their sexual orientation.”