Transgender persons in Haripur face official wrath

At least five collective residences, or deras, sealed

HARIPUR:

The local police in Haripur have launched a large-scale crackdown against transgenders, including those unregistered with the government as well as those not local to the area. As part of the crackdown, at least five residences – or deras as they are known – were sealed.

The crackdown comes after religious leaders and citizens raised alarm over the number of transgenders in the area as well as concerns regarding their involvement in ‘spreading vulgarity, obscenity and drug dealing’.

A delegation of religious leaders, led by Maulana Fayyazur Rehman, met the Haripur district police officer to share their concerns. They told the police that the issue would also be raised during the sermon of the Friday prayers.

Upon this, the Haripur DPO issued orders the station house officers (SHO) of the City and Sarai Saleh police stations.

The City SHO led a raiding party that sealed residences of several transgenders across the city last night. The police also ordered them to return to their hometowns within three days.

Police said that residents had also raised the issue, including of transgenders from parts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who had resettled to Haripur due to its proximity to major centres.

Meanwhile, Saima Shaukat, who heads a local collective of transgenders, welcomed the crackdown against what she said were ‘self-proclaimed’ transgenders. “Those who are registered with the government should not be bothered or harassed,” she added.

“We earn our livelihood by dancing and singing in wedding ceremonies. But the police continue to harass us,” she pointed out while urging the authorities not to paint everyone with the same brush.

 

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2023.