LAHORE: Civil society activists on Saturday condemned the murder of transgender Alisha in Peshawar and demanded arrest of the culprits.

During a press conference at the press club, the activists expressed their concern discriminatory attitude towards the injured Alisha when she was refused treatment in the hospital.

Speaking on the occasion, Mehnaz Rafi, Neeli Rana, a transgender activist, PTI’s MPA Shuneela Ruth, Muhammad Tehseen and Irfan Mufti highlighted the issues faced by the transgender community.

“These individuals face the severest form of discrimination among all the minorities in Pakistan. Their parents do not own them and force them to leave their homes to live with other transgender people, often in extreme poverty. They are forced to subscribe to a lifestyle that is according to society’s assigned gender roles and expectations,” said Ms Rafi.

The activists demanded equal rights for transgender persons like other citizens of the country, medical care and jobs.

“The treatment of the injured Alisha in the hospital shows cruelty of our society. She died due to the delay in medical treatment. The doctors were first not ready to admit her and then they treated her outside the lavatory. We demand the government that the doctors and the staff in the hospitals must be orientated and instructed that they provide their services to the transgender persons considering them normal human beings,” Tehseen said.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2016