MANSEHRA: The government has planned improvement of the law on the rights of transgender per sons f or addressing more issues, said additional deputy commissioner Nazima Shaheen here on Tuesday.

`Amendments to the Transgender Persons Protection and Rights Act, 2018, are on the cards to attend to more issues of transgender persons,` she told an open forum organised by the district administration in collaboration with NGO Saibaan Development Organisation.

The event was attended by transgender persons along with Hindus and Christians from Mansehra, Balakot and Oghi tehsils. Representatives of government departments and private organisations were also in attendance.

The ADC said the district administration was set to acquire land to put up graveyards and community centres for transgender persons, who could use tehsil municipal administration`s halls free of charge.

`We will also provide free education to transgender persons in schools and Hazara University, sothe latter should apply for it,` she said. Christian cleric Haroon and custodian of a Hindu temple Darshan Lal highlighted the issues related to their communities` graveyards, community halls, and places of worship.

Mr Lal complained that the residents had encroached on the land adjacent to Shiva Linga Temple in Ghandian area, so the district administration should recover it to construct toilets for visitors.

Saibaan managing director Sahibzada Jawad Alfaizi said his organisation was providing nonMuslims and transgender personswith a platform through the Awaz Forum to highlight their issues.

Chairperson of the Transgender Persons Association Nadra Khan said the administration was acquiring land to put up the first ever housing colony for transgender persons and until the colony was in place, transgender persons should be provided with free accommodations.

Deputy medial superintendent of the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital Dr Umair said his hospital offered transgender person all facilities, including test for HIV, free of charge.RESEARCH: The Ayub Medical Complex Abbottabad and Helping Hand Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences Mansehra on Wednesday finalised modalities for collaboration in the field of research.

The development came during a meeting of the two institutions here.

HHIRS director (operations) Dr Bahadur Shah said research in the medical field would benefit the people suffering from diseases and disabilities.

He said the two organisations would soon sign an agreement for the purpose.