Senate sends transgender bill to relevant committee

PTI's Fauzia Arsad presents Intersex Persons Bill, deletes provision for transgender persons to choose prefered gender

ISLAMABAD:

The Senate on Monday sent the amendment bill related to the protection of rights of transgender persons to the relevant standing committee for further discussion.

The bill proposes giving persons with dubious as well as both male and female characteristics half of male and female inheritance, and deleting the provision of transgender to specify the gender of their choice.

In the meeting, chaired by Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, PTI’s Senator Fauzia Arshad presented the Intersex Persons (Protection of Rights) (Amendment) Bill 2022, making changes in the existing Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018.

Senator Mohsin Uzair said that transgender and gender reassignment were two separate issues. “I ask Allah for forgiveness when this bill was passed. I was in the house. Transgender persons are not eunuchs but homosexuals, so they cannot be protected.”

Senator Azam Nazir Tarar assured that the government will not do anything that is against Islam, as “the purpose of the bill is to take care of the rights of eunuchs”. “The most requested thing is not to play politics on this bill, but give guidance.

“Everyone's intentions regarding this bill are clear.”

Amendments were proposed in clauses two, three, seven and eight included in the Transgender Act through the Transgender Protection Act Amendment Bill. The gender expression under the proposed bill refers to the presentation of an individual's gender identity.

While it will be called male, female or transgender based on physical or biological characteristics, the proposed bill recommends removing the provision of self-declared gender of transgender. According to the proposed bill, male and female will have half of the share in inheritance on doubtful sexual characteristics or characteristics of both male and female.