K-P transgender policy

Confronting decades of exclusion, institutional neglect

For far too long, transgender persons - known locally as Khawaja Sira - have existed on the margins of public policy in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, acknowledged rhetorically but rarely protected meaningfully. The provincial government's newly introduced transgender policy, therefore, arrives not a moment too soon. It seeks to confront decades of exclusion and institutional neglect, while also attempting to move the conversation from protection to dignity and economic independence.

The policy is expansive on paper. It draws legitimacy from the federal Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, and attempts to operationalise constitutional guarantees that have, until now, failed to translate into lived realities. Transgender Pakistanis continue to face routine discrimination - not because laws are absent, but because implementation has been either weak or wilfully ignored. What distinguishes this framework is its attempt at structural inclusion.

The establishment of the province's first transgender endowment fund signals recognition that charity-based approaches are insufficient. Sustainable financing for skills development and rehabilitation is essential if economic vulnerability - often the root cause of exploitation - is to be addressed. Administrative reforms, including a mandatory welfare registry and database, could also prove transformative if handled sensitively. Yet the discrepancy between the roughly 600 individuals registered by the Social Welfare Department and the much lower NADRA figures shows that much work needs to be done to make the system coherent.

That said, this initiative by the K-P government represents a decisive and positive step. It signals recognition that dignity and equality cannot remain abstract principles. If accompanied by political will, adequate budgetary allocations and genuine partnership with the transgender community, this framework has the potential to transform lives. For K-P, this is indeed a progressive move - one that affirms that inclusion is not a favour extended, but a right upheld.