LAHORE: Marvia Malik, Pakistan’s first transgender news anchor, survived a gun attack on Thursday night outside her residence in the Lahore Cantonment area.

According to Ms Malik, she was returning from a pharmacy when two attackers opened indiscriminate fire.

In her statement to the police, Ms Malik claimed she had been receiving threatening phone calls and messages from unknown numbers for raising her voice for the transgender community.

Ms Malik said she left Lahore out of fear for her life and relocated to Islamabad and Multan. She had returned to Lahore a few days back for a surgery. She said her activism was “a major factor” behind the assassination attempt.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2023

Opinion

Editorial

Immunity gap
Updated 26 Apr, 2026

Immunity gap

Pakistan’s Big Catch-Up campaign showed progress but also exposed the scale of gaps in routine immunisation.
Danger on repeat
26 Apr, 2026

Danger on repeat

DISASTERS have typically been framed as acts of nature. Of late, they look increasingly like tests of preparedness...
Loose lips
26 Apr, 2026

Loose lips

PAKISTANIS have by now gained something of an international reputation for their gallows humour, but it seems that...
Lebanon truce
Updated 25 Apr, 2026

Lebanon truce

THE fact that the truce between Israel and Lebanon has been extended for three weeks should be welcomed. But there...
Terrorism again
25 Apr, 2026

Terrorism again

THE elimination of 22 terrorists in an intelligence-based operation in Khyber highlights both the scale and ...
Taxing technology
25 Apr, 2026

Taxing technology

THE recent decision by the FBR’s Directorate General of Customs Valuation to increase the ‘assessed value’ of...