CHINIOT: A policeman was suspended from service for facilitating a transgender person for making a TikTok video in the office of the station house officer (SHO).

District Police Officer Abdullah Ahmad took notice of a TikTok video that went viral on social media in which a transgender is seen sitting in the official chair of the SHO in the Chiniot City Police Station and recording a video. The video received a backlash from the public who took it as an insult to the police uniform whose seat is used by a transgender.

The DPO suspended Assistant Sub-Inspector Inayatullah Niazi from service on charge of facilitating the transperson, Chirya Baloch, to make the video and launched an inquiry into the matter.

Mohsin Hassan, the spokesperson for district police, said DSP City Shahid Gujjar would hold the inquiry and fix responsibility.

On the other hand, Chirya Baloch sought apology from the DPO for making the video. In a video message, she said the Punjab Police had always heard and solved issues of transpersons and established a protection centre for them. She said she had made a mistake by making the video and sought forgiveness from the police department for her act.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2024