“Our heads should hang in shame”: Pakistani activists outraged after court repeals trans rights laws

On May 19, Pakistan’s Federal Shariat Court (FSC) struck down a number of provisions of the historic Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act after declaring the statute to be “un-Islamic”.

Activists say the decision is “regressive” and fear the move will have significant repercussions for the country’s transgender community.

The law, passed in May 2018 by Pakistan’s national assembly, was then seen as a progressive step toward the realization of transgender rights in otherwise conservative Pakistan. It gave transgender people legal status and outlawed harassment and discrimination toward them.

Established in 1980 during the government of military dictator President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, FSC has the constitutional mandate to analyze and decide whether laws adhere to Pakistan’s Islamic principles.

In its May 19 ruling, FSC said that a person cannot change gender based on…

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