PESHAWAR: Speakers at an event here on Monday urged government to take all stakeholders on board in the policymaking process for transgender persons and lift ban on their social gatherings.

The event titled `Consultation on transgender protection policy in Pakistan` was organised jointly by National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), Blue Veins, Peace Justice and Youth Organisation (PJYO) and TransAction Association atPeshawar Press Club.

NCHR chairman Ali Nawaz Chowhan, TransAction Association provincial president Farzana Jan, chairperson of gender studies department at University of Peshawar Anoosh Wisal Khan, Da Hawa Loor chairperson Khursheed Bano, DSP Sajid Khan, Qamar Naseem and Redesh Singh Tony spoke on the occasion.

The participants of the dialogue expressed concerns over increase in hardships of transgender people in the province. They urged government to ensure provision of rights and protection to transgender people.

They said that transgender persons should be treated with dignity as they were also human beings and had the same rights as other citizens of the country.

Ali Nawaz Chowhan presentedtwo resolutions on the occasion and condemned police for not lodging FIR in a rape case of a she male.

He urged Gulbahar police to redress grievances of the she male.

He also demanded of provincial government to allow transgender people to perform their art as it was their only source of income.

Regarding the draft bill about the transgender people, he said that a copy of it was provided to NCHR by the Senate to seek suggestions from civil society and provinces to develop it with consensus.

He said that the bill would cover all ordeals being faced by the community and it would also help in lessening their problems.

Qamar Naseem said that currently no policy existed to protect rights of transgender people. Hesaid that despite progressive order by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, transgender people continued to be sidelined and treated as lesser citizens.

He said that the gatherings of transgender people were banned under section 144 and they had to get no-objection certificate from police to hold dancing parties. He urged police to stop harassment of transgender people.

Farzana Jan said on the occasion that she could not bear the thought of strangers determining her identity. `As if the humiliation we face in the society is not enough, the government has decided to inflict an added misery.

Who are they to decide whether I am transgender or not,` she questioned.

She said that they were not consulted in any kind of legislation in the country.