Transgender people accuse Charsadda police of torture

Mukhtar says five transgender people were subject to torture including electrocution inside police station

PESHAWAR: At least five transgender people have accused the Charsadda police of arresting them, torturing them and confiscating their money.

Mukhtar told The Express Tribune that on October 4, five members of their community had ventured to the Charsadda Bazaar to attend a musical programme. Those who attended the programme included Zahida, Sitara, Sanna, Spomgai and Imli.

“An hour after the music party started, they (Charsadda police) raided the building, Mukhtar said, adding, “Everyone fled but they arrested the five people who are transgenders and took them to the police station.”



Mukhtar continued that at the precinct, they were subject to torture including electrocution inside the holding cells. Moreover, she claimed that the police had also confiscated the Rs50,000 in cash they had.



However, the people who are transgender were only released when Mukhtar went to the station at around midnight and secured their release.

“It was on Thursday night and on Friday we arranged a news conference but no one ever took notice of it,” she lamented. 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2018.