Tag: transgender rights

  • Powerful pictures from transgenders protest against gang-rape group

    Powerful pictures from transgenders protest against gang-rape group

    A large number of people from the transgender community and their supporters protested outside the Karachi Press Club against a recent attack on its community by an alleged gang-rape group known as ‘Beelas’.

    The protesters also denounced what they called “the beela culture” that has existed in Pakistan since the colonial era.

    A transgender rights activist Dr Muhammad Moiz organised the protest. He posted the pictures on social media along with the demands and needs of the community in Pakistan.

    “Help us dismantle these structures and create a more just and equitable world for everyone by not being silent bystanders as groups like the beela network inflict violence on our community,” Moiz wrote while sharing the pictures from the protest.

    Following the protest on Friday, powerful and motivating pictures are making rounds on social media:

    Earlier, Moiz came forward to share an incident of organised violence against him by the group [Beela]. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered by him.

    In the video, he shared that on the night of September 19, he and his friends went to a birthday celebration of a friend, where the gang-rape group was already present. According to him, the group [Beelas] wanted to rape the ‘londay‘ (khwaja sira/effeminate boys) present there.

    In his recent post, he has demanded a special committee overseeing khwaja sira in Sindh and a special helpline that khwaja siras can use in an emergency.

    “The police must be sensitised to understand beelas’ behavior, while also addressing internal issues in the police departments that prevent most khwaja siras from launching FIRs,” he said in a caption.

  • Pakistani comedian Moiz exposes alleged gang-rape group, ‘Beelas’, stands up against violence

    Comedian and drag artist Moiz has come forward to share an incident of organised violence against him by a group of people, known as ‘Beelas’. A First Information Report (FIR)  has also been registered by Moiz. The number of the FIR is 455/2021.

    Moiz, while narrating the incident in a video message on Instagram, said that on the night of September 19, close to 2am, he and his friends went to a birthday celebration of a friend, where a group of ‘Beelas’ were already present. According to Moiz , the ‘Beelas’ wanted to rape the ‘londay‘ (khwaja sira/effeminate boys) present there.

    As per Moiz’s Instagram post, “Beelas are an organised syndicate in Pakistan with dedicated WhatsApp groups, formal group networks, and open proud declaration that they are a group of men who terrorize and enact violence on khwaja siras, effeminate boys, and use gang rape as a method of enjoying themselves. They have their own names for the many other violent crimes that they do to khwaja sira bodies.”

    He continued by saying it is time to shift the lens on ‘Beelas’ so they can be arrested. He continued by narrating the September 19 incident saying that they [Beelas] attacked his car and they kept asking [my friend] to hand him over to them. “One of them opened the door of the car and punched me in the face,” adding that they wanted to pull Moiz out of the car. Moiz said then he fought back. The group was armed, he said.

    Moiz also said that his life was saved by an ‘angel’, his childhood best friend who he called right before they [Beelas] snatched his phone.

    “I fought back for a good ten minutes and made their attempt to extract me from my car absolutely impossible,” Moiz’s Instagram caption read. Moiz told his friend on a very brief call, “400 people are going to gang rape me,” and sent his location to him.

    A protest has been organised on Friday, at Karachi Press Club after 3:30pm, in solidarity with all the past and ongoing survivors and victims of Beelas’ violence against khwaja siras, trans-feminine bodies, and young boys.

    Social media users are coming forward to share their own stories and to show the support to Moiz and the transgender community of Pakistan:

    https://twitter.com/onisawai/status/1440392027452035083

  • IN PICTURES: Transgenders attend first day at school

    Education Minister Punjab, Murad Raas took to Twitter to share pictures of the transgender community attending the first day of school. “First Day of School for Transgenders by School Education Department Punjab,” the minister wrote in a Tweet.

    “We have provided them everything that is required for Schooling. Dr Aithesham Secretary School South Punjab and his team have done a great job. TransEducation is the program,” he added.

    Have a look at the pictures:

    On July 6, Raas announced the Punjab government will establish separate schools for the transgender community.

  • Protection centres for transgenders to be completed by end of the year

    Protection centres for transgenders to be completed by end of the year

    Protection centres for Pakistan’s transgender community will reportedly be finalised by the end of this year, the National Assembly was informed during a discussion on the harassment of the community across the country.

    Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights Lal Chand Malhi said this was a devolved subject and three incidents of violence against the transgender community have been reported in the federal capital alone in the last three years.

    He said these were murder cases and “arrests have been made and strict action has been taken against the culprits, as all are equal citizens”.

    But PTI lawmaker Asma Qadeer said that nine cases have been reported in nine months expressing conflict about the figures. However, she did not mention the city.

    “Transgender people who demand alms at traffic signals are not only harassed by the general public but also by the beggar mafia. You are saying that transgender people have equal rights, but the fact is that they are not allowed to be buried in the graveyards of the general public, they are denied admission in hospitals, etc,” she said.

    Another ruling party lawmaker, Zille Huma said that movements must be run in the media and on social media for the protection of transgender people, adding that seats should also be allocated for transgender people in vocational institutes.

    As per reports, Pakistan’s transgender population is currently 10,400.

    The National Assembly had passed the landmark Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill in 2017, which enables trans people to be recognised as they perceive themselves and register with the government institutions as transgenders. It also gives them basic rights such as having driver’s licenses and passports.

  • PM Imran distributes health cards to transgender community

    PM Imran distributes health cards to transgender community

    Prime Minister Imran Khan distributed Sehat Insaf card among the transgender community in an attempt to include them in this project.

    According to reports, a ceremony was held at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad to present the cards to the members of the transgender community.

    Scheme offers the free treatment for angioplasty, brain surgery, cancer and other diseases. The data has been taken from National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

    While addressing to the community, PM Imran said, ” The purpose of this initiative is to tell you that our government is embracing you”

    At least 15 million people will benefit from this policy. The card holders could receive medical facilities up to Rs 720,000. The medical facilities would be available in more than 150 private and government hospitals.

    The transgender community members in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) had also got their health cards in May to end discrimination.

  • PTI MPA seeks ‘corrective surgery and appropriate measures’ for transgender kids

    PTI MPA seeks ‘corrective surgery and appropriate measures’ for transgender kids

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Shahina Karim on Wednesday submitted in the Punjab Assembly a resolution to safeguard the rights of transgender children, ARY News reported.

    “Most of the times during childbirth, the kid is not transgender, but is presumed so,” the resolution read.

    “Such a child can be assigned gender after corrective surgery and appropriate measures so that they too can spend life like a man or a woman,” the resolution stated further.

    The move comes amid rising numbers of transgender persons’ killings across the country. Just last week, a 19-year-old transgender woman was found “riddled with bullets” beside a river bank.

    The teenager’s father and uncle were arrested for her murder.