PESHAWAR: TransAction (Provincial Alliance of Transgender and Intersex Community) held a vigil in front of Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday night to remember a teenaged transgender Mehndi (Adnan).

The community held the vigil for the 17-year transgender person who was shot dead on Aug 14 in Khweshgi area of Nowshera district. They mourned over the killing of Adnan who chose to be called Mehndi (henna).

Members from TransAction Alliance transgender community and rights activists gathered near the press club and chanted slogans for justice for the transgender persons and protested against Adnan`s killing.

Adnan was shot dead after severe torture on Sunday night and his body was retrieved from the DHQ hospital, Nowshera. Officials have arrested two persons on the complaint lodged by father of the deceased at the Nowshera Kalan police station, said Qamar Naseem, who is associated with Blue Veins organizations that also issued a press statement.

`We know that two transgender people were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the last two week. There are many more who faced physical violence and still others live in fear,` Qamar Naseem said.

Farzana Jan, president of TransActionalliance, along with other members present at the vigil condemned the increasing incidents of violence against transgender persons and said that they faced discrimination in the absence of any law or special policy to protect them. She said they were deprived offamily support, social recognition, education and employment opportunities.

`We are deeply hurt by the killing of Adnan. Every day we feel it is our last day.

We are not safe,` said Paro who said she knew Adnan. Bureau Report