MUZAFFARGARH: For the first time in the whole province, a transperson has got a heavy transport vehicle (HTV) licence.

Shahana Abbas Shani, a resident of Muzaffargarh, says the purpose of obtaining a licence to drive heavy vehicles was to get an honorable employment. She said that she would drive trucks now and earn money in a respectable way.

She said when she went to the truck adda for the first time, the drivers made fun of her wish to learn driving. She said they were expecting her to dance for them to get some money.

Shocked by their behaviour, a driver came to help her and expressed willingness to give her driving lessons.

Shahana kept getting driving lessons for two months until she attained perfection. Later, she approached the district traffic police for getting a licence and passed the driving exam as well as practical test.

Shahana Shani thinks that the transpersons were not for entertainment and dance parties only but they could do respectable jobs as well. She said she was a driver now and was getting an attractive salary.

Shahana had left her home as nine years old but later did her matriculation.

In the traffic license branch, the officials said Shahana came there to apply for a licence and was able to receive her HTV license after completing the procedure and passing the test.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2023