The murder of a transgender, Mano, in Peshawar, by a former lover, shows both some of the special problems that plague that community, and how badly the state has failed in solving them. The murder took place in the crowded Mohallah Jangi area of Peshawar, next to the Qissa Khwani Bazar, allegedly by Sanaullah, a former lover, because he refused to pay her Rs 800,000, which she had previously lent him. This is not the first time a transgender has been murdered in KP. There are no official figures, but an estimated 70 transgenders have been killed in KP since 2015.
Another recent case in Mardan saw an attack on a transgender for rebuffing the assailant’s amorous advances. The transgender was injured, and another accompanying her was killed. In both cases, it is clear that if the transgender concerned had been able to register a criminal case, in the one case from embezzlement, and in the other for harassment, these murders might have been avoided. As it is, the refusal of Mano’s family to receive the body indicates that it probably will not pursue the case, and the murderer will escape scot-free. Transgenders lack social acceptance even if allowed to stay alive, but these murders show the dire consequences of the collapse of the social net.
It is perhaps unfortunate, but true, that the state has failed to make the required interventions. Transgenders may not enjoy the best of reputations, much of which is a result of the circumstances they are born into, but that does not prevent them from being citizens of the country, with the right to life, liberty and property. The necessary intervention should begin with sensitization training to the police, so that transgenders reduce, or even eliminate, their fears of approaching the police for their problems. Also, the education system must play its due role in ensuring that the social stigma, which makes families disown the transgenders, is removed. While KP seems to be at the epicenter of this violence against transgenders, all provinces must take measures before they are faced with a law and order problem that could easily be avoided.
