HRCP slams Swabi Jirga over transgender expulsion

PESHAWAR:

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has issued a condemnation of the decision of a Swabi jirga to expel all transgender persons from the district. It has noted such unconstitutional actions amount to incitement to violence against a marginalized community.

The HRCP issued the statement on Sunday after reports emerged in the media that an 11-member committee of elders had declared that all transgender persons would be expelled from Swabi.

In a statement issued on X, the HRCP said no citizen can be deprived of the right to reside, work or earn a livelihood anywhere in Pakistan on the basis of gender identity.

It called on the provincial and district authorities to “immediately ensure the safety and dignity of transgender persons in Swabi and uphold their fundamental rights under the Constitution and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018”.

The committee of elders in question comprised the tehsil president of JUI-F Maulana Abdul Samad Haqqani and others. Samad said they wanted transgender persons to leave the district peacefully and earn their livelihoods elsewhere. “As long as they live here, music shows will [continue to] be arranged, negatively impacting the youth,” he reportedly said.

Another committee member, Yasir Khan, said in the first phase, transgender persons would be asked to peacefully leave the district, and if that does not happen, district police would be approached.

Committee members also said they would likely meet in the next few days and separately would also hold a meeting with the district police to discuss a strategy for “expelling” transgender persons.