3rd Gender Treated as 3rd Citizen

From victim to protector: Pakistan’s first trans cop fights for justice’ Dawn 16th July 2020

Which ‘C’ to start with Commend or Condemn is the dilemma very much honestly and presently I am faced with since I have thought to pen on above which on one hand is not only to be tackled from humanitarian point of view but its social aspect as well simply cannot be ignored either and, therefore, the topic itself is very much burning, important and necessary, to be honest or dead honest for that matter, for the simplest reason because in my beloved Pakistan 3rd gender is named and called by different salutations namely ‘khawaja sara’ or ‘khusra’ or ‘hijrra’ or ‘shemale’ ‘trans’ etc and one way or the other very much regretfully this lot of our own compatriot human beings are subjected to extreme social stigma duly punctuated with intolerable discrimination, jeering, isolation, sever neglect, immense persecution, total exclusion and they eventually are very much downgraded, humiliated, insulted and bracketed with hatred with whatever name one calls them which simply cannot be pocketed any more come what may and they must be acknowledged, honored and respected like rest of Pakistanis for the very simple and cogent reason that they are born alike and therefore they did not influence and or even contribute themselves to be born with such mixed gender but still we do not even accept them as such whatsoever which is most condemnable and can neither be pocketed nor allowed if we are true human and not brute animals.

Many western countries have reckoned 3rd gender and, therefore, their leaders and governments have bestowed so much, or more correctly, maximum liberties and freedoms on so many different counts aiming at that their citizens do not feel any suffocation, restrictions and prohibitions at all and instead the governments have facilitated their citizens to let them enjoy their lives as they wish and consequently under the umbrella of Lesbian Bisexual Gay and Transgender (LBGT) they are free to spend their lives the way they wish to spend to maximize their pleasure and therefore same sex marriage which was not possible before has been accepted and allowed legally whereas as many as 17 different sexual orientations (just few homosexual, bisexual, queer, biromantic, auto-sexual etc) as well are acceptable. Countries namely Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Malta, Netherlands, Malta, Portugal, Spain and United Kingdom are on the forefront extending maximum facilities and patronage to them to the extent that they are entitled to education, housing, medical, inheritance and voting etc. In some countries they are recruited in army as well. However, there are some countries where 3rd gender people are neither recognized nor welcomed and those countries are Afghanistan, Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan and United Arab Emirates.

Truthfully speaking, I write astonishingly with much compunction, regret, shame and surprise that this community who are none but human like us with one head, one face, two ears, one nose, two eyes, two hands, two arms, two knees and two feet as well strictly does not fall specifically and dogmatically into the category of either male or female for that matter, is not only found in Pakistan but in so many countries as well but yet very much dastardly, ignominiously and shamefully in Pakistan they are shunned, eluded, mocked, jeered and ridiculed for none of their fault even though as a matter of fact they ,on the contra, be recognized, honored and properly patronized like in other countries. What pinches me the most is as to why and how we even being Muslims ignore our own citizens in such unwanted and inhumane manner which is not allowed in Islam in any case but because of our indifferent attitude towards them, we have become a laughing stock among the community of nations which must hurt each and every Pakistani to tell you the truth.

Worst part of the whole scenario is that this issue did not crop up just now as someone could think of rather in fact since many decades the members of this unfortunate community have faced immense difficulties on so many counts namely not being able in getting admission in school, not entitled to medical facilities, not allowed to get an employment, denied to buy any moveable or immoveable property, forbidden to cast vote, no way of getting a passport and or a driving license etc very well proves as to how much inhuman and cruel we normal males and females have turned up against them who are also quite surely Pakistanis like me and you but still they have been deprived of many basic facilities and amenities and the poor lot had been fighting for their basic rights from day one when Pakistan came into existence.

They one hand are being thrown out by their own parents, ignored by their friends, looked down by their neighbors and on the hand they are not even entitled to get any employment either in public sector or private sector and hence they quite naturally are left hungry and thirsty and none at all cared for them whosoever and whatsoever but yet they being a human beings exactly like me and you did need to eat at least one meal a day, if not three meals which me and the rest enjoy and that too daily with no gap in between or absence thereof for that matter, but then the obvious and natural question crops up as to how to get even one meal when and from where ever since the meal is not available on footpaths, streets, parks, mosques or bus stops to name  a few so possible venues to get something to eat and quite naturally without eating even the human life is endangered and, therefore, not through choice or with pleasure the poor is left with no alternative but to dress up as a female wearing some attractive bright and showy dress with pinkish lip sticks so that they could visibly attract men and then come on streets hunting for men and beg money from them to buy food and therefore they are seen all over the main roads and street of the city clapping with both hands, singing and dancing and the moment any car is approaching then she goes to the car window begging alms with flirtatiously twirling their hair, performing street comedy etc to get money from the car to buy meals. As and when they fail to earn alike then they are left with the option either to die of hunger if not then they shall have to resort to physical sex but not for self-enjoyment but for pleasing the other partner so as to earn some money to fill up hungry belly and quench thirst.  

Hats off for Supreme Court of Pakistan entertaining a constitutional petition filed in connection with the rights of this community and SC took great interest in the case whereby all the provinces were asked to prepare a comprehensive report regarding as to how many members of the community live in the province and what difficulties they are facing. Provinces were to suggest as to what steps and measures be taken to ease their lives. After receiving the said reports SC bench headed by Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmad, Member and Justice Rehmat Hussain Jafferi, Member decided on 12th December, 2009 that this community must enjoy the same status and rights what other Pakistanis are enjoying and they cannot be denied either the civil rights or even the political rights for that matter. SC issued instructions to Social Welfare Department to look them after and extend all facilities to them so that they can attend schools and become employee as well. SC also bestowed political rights on them whereby they can vote and or contest election as well. For the very 1st time in Pakistan history as many as 5 of them contested the election whereby Nadeem Kashish, Resham  and Nayyab Ali were in the run to become MNAs whereas  Lubna Ali and  Maria Khan tried their luck at provincial stage and as the bad luck had it all 5 failed to become MNA or MPA for that matter but nevertheless it was a great achievement in any case.

Reem Sharif, police officer, herself a trans had to endure untold hardships to undergo from day one but she had very firmly decided that she will neither beg on streets, dance on weddings nor she will indulge in sex what her community girls are usually engaged with but she decided to study and be employed on a reasonable post where she is able and empowered to look after trans community. Her brothers were not happy with her and opined that it will be difficult for them to wed their sons and daughters simply because when the other party knows about trans in the family then they will back out which was very much shocking and like killing for Reem but instead being disheartened she stood up against it and eventually joined as police officer and posted in Rawalpindi to primarily look after trans community. She faces so many hurdles to solve the problems of trans community but despite hardships she has succeeded in her efforts by solving the problems and vows to assert alike.

Human is a human in any case, irrespective of the fact whether the person concerned is a male or a female or even a 3rd gender, the person is to be treated fairly by fellow human beings remembering that if tomorrow such a child is born in anybody’s own house then what will he or she do with his or her 3rd gender newly born child if he or she mistreats any 3rd gender?                          ********************************************************