FSC seeks report on transgender protection centres

Bench asks HR secretary to hold meeting with monitoring committee of experts on day-to-day basis

ISLAMABAD:

The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) directed the Human Rights Ministry on Tuesday to submit a report about the standard operating procedures (SOPs) regarding the establishment and working of the Protection Centres for Intersex Children and Old-Age Transgender Persons.

During the hearing of the petitions pertaining to the Transgender Act 2018, a two-member bench led by Acting Chief Justice Dr Syed Muhammad Anwer and including Justice Khadim Hussain M Shaikh, termed the ministry’s report about the protection centres “unsatisfactory”.

The court directed the ministry to submit another report, detailing “proper SOPs regarding establishment and working of Protection Centres for Intersex Children and Old-Age Transgender Persons in terms of orders of this Court on or before the next date of hearing positively”.

To establish the protection centres, the bench asked Human Rights Secretary Ali Raza Bhutta to hold meetings with the monitoring committee of experts on a day-to-day basis. It added that committee convener Zamurrad Khan had offered his contribution to the establishment of the centre in Islamabad.

During the hearing, Asim Sharif alias Reem Sharif, who identified herself as a transgender woman, requested the court that she joined the Human Rights Ministry as transgender rights expert but court notices were being issued to her predecessor. The court allowed the plea for issuing notices in her name.

Earlier, the ministry informed the court that a committee under the convenership of Zamurrad Khan had been established for the transgender protection centres. Zamurrad Khan, the head of Sweet Homes, told the court that no building had been provided by the ministry for protection centres so far.

The acting chief justice remarked that Zamurrad Khan was successfully running his institution, adding that if the government could not do anything for transgender people, there were others, who wanted to do something. Later, the court adjourned further hearing of the case till January 17.