PESHAWAR: Representatives of the transgender community has levelled serious allegations against the local police, claiming that transgender persons residing in Iqbal Plaza were being subjected to persistent harassment and human rights violations under the security measures recently introduced by the city police.

Addressing a press conference at Peshawar Press club on Wednesday, Arzo Khan, leader of the Transgender Association, accompanied by transgender rights activist Sobia Khan, also known as Bebo, and several transgender residents of Iqbal Plaza, said that a police checkpoint set up outside the plaza by the capital city police had become “a centre of extortion”.

The press conference follows public complaints against alleged immoral activities and drug pushing at the location prompting the police to check entry and exit to the building inhibited by the Trans community.

She alleged that police personnel deployed there were routinely harassing transgender persons, by seizing their money and intimidating visitors coming to make bookings for dance events, often detaining them and registering cases against them.

Says restrictions depriving them of livelihood

Arzo said that the community had played an active role with the support of the police in clearing Iqbal Plaza of drug-related and immoral activities in the past, adding the present restrictions had deprived transgender persons of their only source of livelihood.

“Dance events are our sole means of income. By shutting them down, the police have pushed us towards hunger,” she said. She also alleged that some police officials had forcibly entered their rooms, confiscated their belongings and subjected them to psychological and physical abuse.

“It has even become routine that transgender persons are stripped to check their gender. Is this justice?” she added.

She claimed that requests for meetings with senior police officers had gone unanswered. “We belong to this society. Why are our pleas ignored?” she said, urging the inspector general of police to take notice and remove “black sheep” within the department.

Speaking on the occasion, transgender rights activist Sobia Khan said that four transgender desks set up in Peshawar were being run by non-relevant individuals.

“These desks should be staffed by transgender persons because only they understand the issues of the community,” she said. She added that despite the existence of laws protecting transgender rights, no mechanism for implementation existed.

She claimed that transgender persons across the province were being harassed, blackmailed, evicted from their residences and their landlords were being pressured by police to force them out.

Sobia further said that although jobs quota for transgender persons was reserved in various departments, they were not being provided employment. She called upon the provincial government and the police chief to recruit educated transgender persons into the police department so they could help resolve issues faced by the community.

The speakers maintained that the checkpoint outside Iqbal Plaza should be staffed with officials capable of identifying criminal elements rather than harassing those visiting for professional bookings. They urged the provincial government to protect transgender persons from police excesses and to safeguard their right to livelihood.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2025