The trans community in Pakistan plans to take to the streets to protest another murder of a trans woman.
Armed men on motorbikes allegedly opened fire on three trans women as the returned home after a wedding on Tuesday night (29 January). The attack happened in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Peshawar region in north-western Pakistan.
The latest murder brings the total of trans women killed in KP to 63 since 2015.
Advocacy group, Trans Action Pakistan, are planning to protest outside the National Press Club in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.
‘We can’t hold the tears back. It wasn’t fair that her life had to end. We will always keep her in our heart. Rest in peace our sister,’ the group wrote about the murdered woman on Facebook.
Poor medical help
Trans Action Pakistan also criticized the available medical attention for the injured women at Kohat Hospital. They accused hospital staff of calling them inhuman.
‘There was no doctor on duty at night and (the) transgender person who was shot was left unattended and when (we) complained, a junior practicing doctor was asked to attend instead of attended by a trained doctor,’ the group wrote on Facebook.
‘The transgender persons protested and asked “are we not human?” and someone said, “yes you are not human”.’
Local police confirmed it had arrested one of the men allegedly involved and would continue investigating.
Even though Tuesday’s murder was the first murder of a trans person in Pakistan this year, the community has faced an escalation of violence against it.
By August 2018, the trans community recorded 479 cases of violence against it in the Peshawar region alone.
Arzo is the Secretary of the Transgenders Association and said despite promises, the government had failed to protect trans people.
‘We are requesting the government to take steps for our protection which is possible to do through proper legislation,’ she told Peshawar Today.
‘The frequent violent acts result wide range unrest among the community.’
Transgender Support 