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Everything We Now Know About Two Transgender Women Killed in Mardan

Two males brandishing daggers viciously stabbed two transgender ladies to death in their house on Sunday night. The victims were left to be found after the perpetrators left the site. Despite the lack of a clear motive, two suspects have been taken into custody by the local police, commanded by Fahim Khan, in connection with the deaths. While the authorities continue their investigation, the victims were laid to rest in a nearby cemetery. The suspects’ direct involvement in the incident has not been verified by their arrests.

The leader of the Trans Action rights group, Farzana Jan, voiced her disgust at the most recent murders. She emphasized that none of the attackers of the nine other transgender people who were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year have been apprehended. According to Jan, when prosecutors do not take these cases seriously, the perpetrators frequently get away with it. She threatened to hold rallies by the transgender community to demand justice if those responsible for the Mardan massacres are not apprehended within three days.

Legal Protections for Individuals Who Are Transgender In Pakistan

A number of laws have been introduced in Pakistan to safeguard the rights of transgender people. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018 is the most important because it permits transgender people to legally declare their gender on official papers such as driver’s licenses, passports, and national ID cards. Additionally, this law gives individuals equitable access to opportunities by protecting them against discrimination in public services, employment, and education. The ability to inherit is another important component of this law, which guarantees trans people their rightful portion of family assets and addresses the historical exclusion they experienced in family affairs.

Anti-harassment laws also provide protection for transgender individuals. Transgender people can now feel comfortable and secure in both public and private workplaces because to the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010. Their position is further strengthened by the National Database and Registration Authority’s (NADRA) provision of transgender identification cards, which permit official validation of their gender identity. This enables individuals to live with dignity by facilitating their access to social welfare and healthcare, among other vital services.

Comparable Transgender Violence Incidents

The murders in Mardan are not one-off events. In recent years, there have been a number of further violent attacks:

• A transgender lady in Peshawar was shot and killed in January in what seemed to be a targeted assault. Her attackers were never caught.

• After being harassed by local guys for a long time, a transgender person was slain in Swabi, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in March.

• A transsexual woman was shot dead in her Nowshera house in May, and the perpetrators escaped. No one was taken into custody in relation to her death despite police inquiries.

The transgender population in Pakistan still faces extreme violence, prejudice, and social marginalization in spite of legal protections and initiatives to preserve their rights. Although these safeguards are in place in theory, they are frequently not applied consistently, and bias nevertheless permeates society. Many transgender people are forced to live in dread and loneliness as a result of the numerous severe attacks, harassment, and marginalization they experience. The latest murders in Mardan serve as a stark reminder that, in spite of advancements, the trans community is still at risk of abuse and discrimination, and that full safety and acceptance are still a long way off.

The story is still evolving.

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