PESHAWAR: Representatives of the transgender community have expressed concern over growing violence against them and demanded protection.

During a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Monday, Trans-Action Alliance president Farzana Riaz and general secretary Mahi Gul said the chief justice of the Peshawar High Court and the provincial inspector general of police should immediately act to address the increasing violence and threats against the transgender community.

They said many cases of excesses against their community members had been pending with courts but they continued to receive life threats and were targeted by outlaws.

The representatives of transgender community complained that the police didn’t provide adequate protection to them, causing serious unrest among people.

They said the community was demanding effective and sustainable protection, and the chief justice and police chief were being urged to intervene for corrective measures.

Highlighting the issues facing the transgender community, they said that some influential people asked them for extortion money. They also demanded the arrest of killers of their community members.

“This year, 14 members of our community have been killed in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with culprits in most cases roaming freely. Also, our families are being targeted. We demand that the chief justice of the high court ensure our and their protection,” Riaz said.

The representatives of transgender community said they wanted the right to live like other members of society, but the society at large was unwilling to accept them as citizens and pushed them against the wall.

They said in the current year, a record number of transgender individuals were killed in the province, with 14 cases being reported. They also complained millions of rupees were extorted from transgender persons and when they lodged complaints with authorities, culprits issued death threats to them.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2025