Gun attack: Two killed in attack on transgender persons

Victims were en route from a wedding in Swabi following a musical performance

SWABI:

Two people, including a transgender person, were killed while three others were injured when six gunmen opened fire at their vehicle as they were en route onChota Lahor-Yar Hussain Road early Monday morning.

Swabi DPO Sajjad Khan said three transgender persons, Zahirullah alias Sana, Qamar alias Diviya and Rehman alias Baby, were en route to Swabi along with other troupe members after performing at the wedding of Ikramul Haq, a resident of Sodher in Yar Hussain.

At around 3am, the vehicle was intercepted by six armed men who asked the transgender persons to go with them. Upon their refusal, the men opened fire at the vehicle, killing Sana and DJ Ibrahim on the spot, while three others including Diviya, driver Bakhtiar and Rafiq were injured. The DPO added the men also took Baby and Diviya with them.

DPO Khan said the police took immediate action after learning of the incident and traced the culprits in an hour. The kidnapped transgender persons were recovered and the culprits—Manzoor, Khizran, Bashir, Arif, Umer Ali and Kashif, residents of Rakashai, Swabi—arrested. Police also recovered a Kalashnikov, a pistol, 10 cartridges and three motorcycles from the accused.

According to AFP, one of the kidnapped transgender persons told the DPO the men gang-raped the victim in the time they were detained.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2015.