Two trans persons injured in Peshawar gun attack

Police say investigation initiated, assure victims of holding assailants accountable

PESHAWAR:

Two transgender persons were injured after unidentified assailants opened fire on them in the early hours of Saturday near Kohat road in Peshawar.

They were returning home from a wedding when four men wielding guns, riding on two motorcycles, chased and targeted them as they reached a CNG pump located on Kohat road, within the limits of Rahman Baba police station.

The injured were identified as Hamza alias Mehek and Kamran alias Jaya. They were shifted to a hospital for treatment.

A police contingent led by SP Saddar Division Muhammad Zaman Khan and DSP Saddar Circle Arbab Naeem Haider reached the crime scene.

SSP Operations Kashif Zulfikar visited the injured at the hospital and assured them of holding the culprits accountable.

Read Trans persons continue to face ostracisation after death

In a similar act of violence, a transgender person fell victim to a brutal stabbing in the Faqirabad area of Peshawar last year.

The victim, identified as Ghazal, was discovered dead in a plaza on Ring Road, lying in a pool of blood. Local police, informed of the incident, promptly dispatched a team to the scene. However, the assailant managed to escape before their arrival.

Police officials reported that Ghazal had been fatally stabbed, and her body was sent for autopsy after preserving the crime scene.

To probe the matter comprehensively, an investigation team, led by ASP Tilal Ahmad Shah, was formed. The ASP engaged with the transgender community, assuring them of a thorough inquiry and pledging measures to safeguard the lives of community members.

It is distressing to note that such incidents occur frequently across K-P province, claiming the lives of dozens of transgender individuals each year.