Daily Times

Just last week, Aurat March demanded a Pakistan for everyone, “not only for men,” across a number of cities; drawing ire from conservative quarters over brewing a storm in a teacup.

Monday’s brazen gun attack in Mansehra targeting an overwhelming five trans women, that too, after a group of men forced their way into their house has, to much dismay, laid bare how most of the country can still easily be made hostage to petty egos and sexist agendas.

While the investigation is underway, trying to guess what may have gone down is not an incredibly hard nut.

The arousal of romantic jealousy, the patriarchal-driven refusal to take no for an answer or a churning of good old financial squabbles, those fighting to survive in our transphobic society have seen them all. Fortune seemed to favour them this time since there were no casualties. However, the two ill-omened targets in just as gruesome incidents in the areas nearby and staggering statistics from all over the country last year are ample evidence that intolerance is on the rise.

Pakistan takes great pride in being among the handful of countries that recognise the trans identity but conveniently looks the other way when asked about the assurance for their jobs, education and equality prospects. Because it may be one thing to nostalgically talk of their cultural roots that go thousands of years back and the rather crucial roles they played in Delhi Durbaars but to allow a group routinely treated as public property to muster up the courage and lay claim on their rights is another saga altogether.

The only truly progressive legislation state could muster to tackle rape as a gender-neutral crime has long lapsed and several other bills drafted for protection against violence have yet to be deemed worthy of political patronage.

That everyone from local clerics to the country’s supreme court jumping to their defence has to date done nothing to ease their troubles makes one thing for certain: anyone that does not fall under the gambit of muscular masculinity is not safe: in life or in death. *