SPURNED by family and largely scorned by society as they live, even in death transgender persons cannot hope to be treated as equal citizens. A spate of targeted attacks on transpersons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has again shone a spotlight on the harsh realities of life for this cruelly marginalised community. A story published recently in these pages uncovered that a toxic belief that one ‘owns’ the person they desire is behind men violently attacking and killing transpersons in KP. Experts say that a culture of impunity has taken root over the years, with the murder of transpersons seldom prosecuted and killers walking free without being punished for their crimes. The recent surge in murders and violent attacks is also a clear indicator that the matter is low on the provincial police’s priority list. Indeed, the biggest complaint put forth by community representatives is that police have repeatedly bungled investigations and failed to register proper FIRs and collect the evidence necessary to convict the murderers.

The families of transgender persons, too, are of little help in prosecuting murders, as they either disassociate completely — refusing to take part even in the burial of their loved ones — or simply pocket ‘blood money’ settlements and allow the killers to walk free. Therefore, while the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s attempts at greater inclusion of the trans community are certainly commendable, it is clear that legislation alone is not going to be enough. There needs to be greater public awareness of the issues facing the transgender community to encourage the citizenry to proactively invite transpersons into mainstream society. As far as preventing more deaths is concerned, the government may consider the community’s demand that the state become a party in murder cases. As the victims do not leave behind any real heirs willing to fight for their cause, the state must step in by supporting the trans community as well as by providing material resources to hire strong legal counsel to prosecute the killers.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2022