Transgender killings rise sharply in K-P

Violence against transgender individuals in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa continues to rise at an alarming rate, with recent incidents of shootings, physical assaults, and targeted killings sparking fresh concern among human rights advocates.

In the latest incident, a transgender individual known as Barfi was shot and injured in the Kotwali area of inner-city Peshawar. The victim was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Police have registered a case against two named suspects and launched an investigation.

This attack follows the recent killing of Tetli, a transgender individual identified as Farman alias Tetli, who was gunned down on July 1 in Peshawar's Gulbahar area after allegedly refusing a friendship proposal. According to police, suspects Salman (son of Afzal) and Niaz Muhammad (son of Jan Muhammad) confessed during initial investigations, claiming the murder was motivated by a failed personal relationship.

On the night of July 8, another transgender person, Asad, was murdered by unidentified assailants in Tehkal Plaza, Peshawar. These attacks bring the total number of transgender individuals killed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in 2025 to eight so far.

According to Farzana Riaz, president of the Transgender Association working for the rights of the community in the province, five of the victims were killed in Mardan, two in Peshawar, and one in Abbottabad without inviting any attention from the quarters concerned.

She further revealed that between 2015 and 2025, at least 157 transgender individuals have been murdered across the province.

"Although police often arrest suspects, they are usually released soon after due to weak legal proceedings or out-of-court settlements reached by the victims' families," she said. "In many cases, police apply lenient charges, and the government remains a silent spectator. Not a single perpetrator has been punished so far."

In addition to the eight killings in 2025, there have been at least 15 other reported incidents of extortion, forced displacement, and physical abuse targeting transgender individuals in the province.

Farzana added that a growing number of transgender people are either leaving the country or relocating to Punjab and other districts, as survival has become increasingly difficult for them in K-P.

"Living in this country has become a struggle for the transgender community," she said.