Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Expressing grave concerns over delaying tactics in inclusion of transgender community in national census, a group of she-male and civil society actors informed that Trans Action Alliance(TAA) filed a writ petition in Peshawar High Court (PHC) against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and federal government.

Addressing a press conference at Peshawar Press Club, President TAA KP chapter, Farzana Jan said that both KP as well as federal governments were least bothered to provide protection and basic rights to she-male community.

“We have filed a writ petition in PHC under article 199 of the Constitution of Pakistan against both the governments. In the petition it is pleaded to stop the national census until eunuch is included in the census form”, she maintained. Similarly, she said that it was also appealed in the petition to provide Computerized National Identity Cards (CNIC) to transgender as the per Supreme Court of Pakistan orders.

“We are demanding of the KP Government for the past six months to include eunuch column in census form and in this regard we hold protest and arranged seminars but the statistics department did not ours column”, she said.

Arzo, General Secretary TAA, said that the provincial government had promised and deceived the transgender community for the last six months while the KP rulers’ statement remained only to political statements since 2012.

“Every government in KP comes into power and completes its tenure but no government takes real and solid steps for she-male issues”, she lamented and said that they were compelled to move to court for achieving their valid rights.

“Moving to high court is an initial step for achieving our census column in census form and CNIC we will bring more other things in the court because it is our constitutional and citizen rights”, said Paro, Vice President TAA.