President of transgender association to contest elections

Shani says she has taken this decision because she wants to discuss problems faced by her community in the assembly. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE

MULTAN: Shahana Abbas Shani, President of She-male Association, has announced that she will contest elections as an independent candidate for Muzaffargarh PP-254 constituency of provincial assembly.

Talking to The Express Tribune on Monday, Shani said that she has made this decision because she wants to discuss problems faced by her community in the assembly.

“There is no other way for us to be heard and now when the Supreme Court of Pakistan has allowed us to have an identity card, we will fight for our rights,” Shani said.

Shani added that her community’s problems have been ignored by society.

The association’s president further said that the assembly should pass legislation for their rights and that there should be reserved seats for them in the National Assembly.

Talking more about the reserved seats issue, Shani said that when women and minorities can have reserved seats as per the Constitution of Pakistan, then transgenders also have the right to voice their opinions in the assemblies. “We are also citizens of Pakistan,” Shani said.

Shani said that she will fight for all those people who have been deprived of their rights and had faced discrimination.

Earlier, the She-male association also protested in Multan against the November 26 Nato attack and the killing of Pakistani army personnel.

Protesters burnt US President Barack Obama’s effigies and raised slogans against the US and expressed solidarity with the armed forces of Pakistan.

“We will fight at our country’s borders if the forces need us,” Shani said.