The recent discovery of three transgender women shot dead and left on a roadside in Karachi is another brutal example of how dangerous life is for transgender people. Despite progressive legal steps, including the landmark Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, there is still a massive gap between law and reality.
The state’s failure to provide genuine protection and justice has created a climate of impunity where such killings continue with horrifying regularity. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa alone, 267 cases of violence against transgender individuals were reported between 2019 and 2024, resulting in only one conviction. This abysmal conviction rate signals to perpetrators that they can act without fear of consequence. This violence is embedded in widespread social stigma and discrimination that ostracises transgender people, often from their own families, forcing many onto the streets, begging to make enough money to get by, or working as dancers or sex workers, which leaves them even more vulnerable to abuse, rape and blackmail.
There has also been noticeable backsliding in terms of legal protections for transgender people, most notably the 2023 Federal Shariat Court decision to strike down key sections of the 2018 Act. These included revoking the right to self-perceived gender identity and expression, a decision activists derided as unscientific and having the potential to further marginalise transgender people and exacerbate transphobia.
The dignity and safety of every citizen are paramount. The continued assault on transgender people is a national crisis that demands immediate and decisive action. Unfortunately, the scale of failure illustrates how long it will take to change cultural attitudes towards transgender people. However, at the most basic level, the state can and must do more to protect the lives of transgender people and ensure that victims of crimes have access to justice.
