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Once a ‘wife’ soon to be a husband
TOBA TEK SINGH: Some eight months ago, happily married Nagina Akram had not even imagined one day she would be running a tyre shop at a bus stand as a young man, Usman Akram.
Usman was born as a girl to a family living in Ghaziabad. His father Haji Akram was a trader. As Nagina, (s)he was married to an expatriate Khalid who worked in Spain in 2011.
Khalid and Nagina spent two years as a happily married couple. Khalid would visit Pakistan after about every six moths to see his wife.
When the couple had no ‘good news’ even after two years of their marriage, Khalid asked his wife to consult a doctor.
That casual visit to a local gynecologist Dr Tahira Khalid changed every thing for the couple, especially the wife.
The gynecologist, after observing some changes occurring in Nagina’s body advised her to have some necessary tests at Karachi's Agha Khan Hospital.
The tests confirmed that Nagina was undergoing sex change and needed surgery that was conducted at a local private hospital, turning her into a young man who was named Usman Akram.
At that time Khalid was in Spain, busy pursuing the legal procedures necessary to bring his ‘wife’ to the European country.
Usman told Dawn that initially he felt very shy about the change he had gone through. “For at least eight months I shaved my face to grow facial hair so that I looked like a man,” he said, adding that finally he succeeded in his effort.
He said that soon after his medical tests confirmed signs of sex change he had informed his husband about this telephonically and since then they had not contacted each other. Khalid’s family had amicably returned the dowry, he added.
He said that since he needed some means to earn his livelihood as a man, he started running a tyre shop on the bus stand.
Usman, who has been issued his new CNIC with male status, is looking for a suitable girl so that he could start his new marital life, now as husband.
Comments (38) Closed
this story is so airing on ripley's believe it or not!
So under Islamic Law Husband has an inalienable legal right of divorce; so in such case how Muslim scholars will decided any decision and what about subject of "Haq Meher" etc
Can anyone tells me from dawn or public what is the purpose of this news ...and then i will reply with real reason ....... people say satan do not exist
Is this a true story?? How can a woman just change into a man all of a sudden?
Rubbish. This girl has lesbian tendency. Among lesbians one partner acts as a male and another female. Due to repressive Pakistani society this woman had to take this step.
Sex change operation in a nation like Pakistan - unbelievable. It is a good news,as it changes perceptions about Pakistan. Very heartening news for the couple.
miracle
oh my God............
What kind of uninformed article is this? I expect better from Dawn.
Best of luck to Usman for his future. I'm glad that Mr Khalid was decent enough to return the dowry as well.
What's a "tyre" shop ? Maybe it's some kind of a store only found at bus stops in Pakistan !!!!
Freaky... what does sex change means? all of a sudden he grew male organs within 8 months?? freaky !!!
Strange. Wish him best of luck for his future endeavors as a man.
Strange report.
what happened to the uterus, the reproductive system all woman are born with, which grows with maturity. Also, it is not the external parts or end effectors that make a male a male & female a female, it is the process that runs inside the human body & animals. It is the process inside the warehouse or manufacturing plant that make it ware house or manufacturing plant, not the exit & receiving doors, or outside appearance.
@Ijaz Ahmad Rao: Islam treats everybody equal. Does women has a right to divorce.
This seems like an advertisement of new facility opened in Aga Khan... Rush.... But atleast I wasn't expecting this News (if it is) in Dawn.
What did I just read? What on earth does "The tests confirmed that Nagina was undergoing sex change and needed surgery" mean? A person does not go through sex change on their own. No one can just automatically change their gender. Extensive hormone therapy and surgery are required. How on earth can a test "confirm" that she was undergoing sex change? So many questions!
For people who are showing such surprise at the news, guys, this is not the first of its kind operation in Pakistan. Multiple, similar cases has been reported in the past.
I've never heard of any such biological process starting to take place by itself within a person's system that could change their gender from woman to man or vice-versa. Those who undergo such changes through surgery, opt for it voluntarily.
Low quality investigative reporting. Either this woman was physically normal and a homosexual/transgender, or, she is a genuine hermaphrodite which is unlikely not least because one would expect her to choose the gender she was brought up in. In either case, happiness and good luck to her.
Pakistan and Muslims are no different, if this can and does happen around the world, why is it that it can't happen in Pakistan. Why as a nation, we always have to think that all is a conspiracy theory ?
how can she develop male parts.. or doctors can develop with surgery.. she is still in middle of nowhere.
@Tight Patloon: It's rubbish you wrote. Seems you don't know anything about lesbians!
Yes it is totally rubbish.
@Deendayal M.Lulla: Why is it heartening news for couple? They broke up! :)
This article reads like corner shop gossip. Unless the reporter tended to explain the science or facts behind how this woman found out she was a man - then one can hardly believe this story. Was she hermaphrodite or was she undergoing some hormone treatment?
How can a paper like Dawn just report unchecked facts, no one goes to a doctor and is told "they are undergoing sex change". The reporter should have explained what was happening. Otherwise this article has ZERO credibility.
If I wanted to read something like this I would have opened the Express Tribune Blogs. ;)
@Ijaz Ahmad Rao: Haq Mehar if paid will remain with her (now him). If not paid will be paid. Wife becomes entitle of Haq Mehar at the Nikah and not at the termination of Nikah.
Its quite an strange story to hear from a conservative country like Pakistan..
I hope religious leaders / Mullahs are not invited for their opinion on this, to start fresh controversies. They will like to dive in to this to express the pseudo intellectualism in respect of Islamic jurisprudence, etc. As a first reaction I think they are stunned by the newness of such news in Pakistan, and therefore are silent so far.
It's called 5 alpha reductase deficiency. It's a genetic condition.
whatever.Is a big deal,man or woman.why are we so much obssesed with gender factor?The whole thing is his or her private life.We always poke our noses.Mullah is something more a poker I guess,in fact poker-kings,because he thinks Allah Almighty has given him almighty power,mandate to issue fatwas too.Some people like curry,some like pizza.Everyone has different tastes.If someone like male,and someone likes female,so be it.Who are we to label others as lesbian titles?Leave everyone alone.It is their life and they have to reply to Allah if they are asked by Him.Why Allah has made such kind of people,even she-males in the first place.It is such a shame how they are treated in Pakistan and we talk about others,the jat-system in India,and human rights elsewhere.First clean our own house.We don't have time to deal with inflation,electricity.If we gossip about others,we are mere sissies,zannanies
@Ajaya K Dutt: yes..during Nikah there is a specific clause that allows woman the right of divorce.Unfortunately this is not a common practice in subcontinent though.
@Ajaya K Dutt: Yes via Khula she doesnt need to run around, just apply in the civil court and state the grounds. As a volunteer, I have helped a few people.
@Ghulam: It is so simple that female to understand as she was in Nikanama to make her wife non existant because of a natural process beyond the powers of human being and an act of God. Now there is a man with new NIC already issued. Nikkah automatically dissolved. No need of Khula or verdict of Civil Court under the circumstances.
@Sara:
Your concern is genuine but Express Tribune ain't that bad as you have portrayed it so :)
She had a sex change operation probably, its still quite uncommon in Pakistan though but impossible.
Welcome to yellow journalism!!! Apparently, Dawn is trying to compete with roznama 'Aman' or 'Sadaaqat' of 70's era! Pathetic!