KARACHI: The organisers of a solidarity march for transgenders – Sindh Moorat March – scheduled for Sunday (tomorrow) at Karachi’s Frere Hall has sought security as the fear disturbance in the event.

“The march should be made safe from extremists,” organisers of the event said in a letter sent to the provincial government and the police on Saturday. “We will raise our voice for transgender persons’ rights in an organised manner.”

It is expected that many members of the civil society and community will attend it. The march will start from the backside of the Frere Hall, opposite the Pakistan-American Cultural Centre. The marchers will walk to the Metropole intersection, where they will make a u-turn and march on the extension of the Abdullah Haroon Road, along Marriot Hotel, and end at front side of the Frere Hallend at the Karachi Press Club.

“The eyes of the whole world are on our march and the international media will also give coverage,” it said.

The police officials said that special measures will be taken for ensuring the security of participants. They added that the bomb disposal squad will conduct a search and sweep operation on the route of the march.

What are the demands?

• Governments must criminalize transphobic hate speech and practically implement on it
• Law of Diyyat (blood money or family pardon) must be kept out of the murder cases of transgender persons
• Right to self-perceived gender identity must be safeguarded at all costs
• Housing Crisis: overcharging from transgender persons/discriminating & not giving them property based on their gender identity should be criminalised
• Disowning transgender children and abandoning them should be a criminal offense for parents or legal guardians.
• Government must implement the existing 0.2% quota for transgender persons for work employment and educational institutions
• The federal government must protect and defend the Transgender Persons’ Protections of Rights Act 2018 & Rules 2020 in its original form and Sindh Government must legislate and pass the provincial bill for the protection of Transgender Persons Rights
• Educational curriculum must include the history of Khwajasiras of the subcontinent
• Sensitisation campaigns must be organised on a regular basis in all public and private institutions and organisations to sensitise the masses on how to respectfully deal with the Khawajasira community
• PEMRA must take strict action against the hate speech and misinformation being spread on national television against the transgender persons
• State must build safe houses and shelter homes for the Khawajasira community and they hould be managed by Khawajasira community
• The federal and all provincial assemblies must allocate one reserved seat for the members of the Khawajasira community in the respective assemblies on priority basis.

‘Pakistan can set an example’

Dr Mehrub Moiz Awan, one of the organisers, said the march was an opportunity for Pakistan to provide hope to the trans people across the Muslim world.

Another organiser Shahzadi Rai was of the view that transphobia is in fact an “ideology of hate,” imported from the West since the people have always accepted the existence of indigenous diverse gender identities in society.

“It is unlawful as per Islam to strip anyone of their veils and right to privacy by forcefully testing them,” Rai said.

“We will fight back to safeguard the right to self perceived gender identity at all costs,” SMM political convener Hina Baloch said.