KARACHI, Jan 20: The Election Commission of Pakistan decided on Friday that transvestites would be registered in the electoral rolls in accordance with a directive of the apex court and advised them to visit the office of their respective district election commissioner in Sindh for registration on Jan 28.

Those who possessed computerised national identity cards (CNICs) would be registered as voters, while other transvestites would be helped by officials of the National Database Registration Authority and the social welfare department to get the CNICs, which were a pre-requisite for registration, it was decided at a meeting presided over by Director General (Elections) Syed Sher Afgan.

Sindh Election Commission chief Sono Khan Baloch, Sindh coordinator for the social welfare department Dr Abdul Shakoor Abro, Nadra Deputy General Manager Maj Syed Nihal Ahmad and representatives of transvestites Bindya Rana, Sanam Faqir, Sara Gul and Rimsha attended the meeting.

The transvestites’ representatives highlighted the problems they faced in getting CNICs. They said in many cases the parents of transvestites did not want their names to be mentioned in the documents. Besides, there were issues related to attestation of their documents, they added.

The meeting decided that the column regarding father’s name could not be left blank. Transvestites would be required to mention the name of their father or use another name in the Nadra documents though they would not be allowed to change it at a later stage.

However, it was decided that the issue of attestation of their documents would be brought to the notice of the interior ministry for necessary action.

Similarly, the permission to use their assumed name along with their actual name would be referred to Nadra for favour of such concession to transvestites only.

Dr Abro informed the meeting that his department had district-wise lists of transvestites. He said the lists would be handed over to the district election commissioners for verification and registration of those who possessed CNICs as voters.

The copies would also be provided to the provincial election commissioner, DG (Election) Islamabad and Nadra chairman, he added.

The details of registered voters along with details of transvestites in Sindh province would be produced in court on the next date of hearing, he said.

All the regional election commissioners were requested to provide the requisite information about transvestites already registered as voters in the electoral rolls in each district to the social welfare secretary through the provincial election commissioner at the earliest. They were also requested to provide its copy to the Election Commissioner of Pakistan.

It was decided that election commissioners, social welfare officers and Nadra officers at the district level would coordinate with one another for registration of transvestites as voters and a fortnight report would be sent to the election commission secretariat in Islamabad.

It was also decided that educated transvestites, who qualified for a job, should send their applications for employment to Deputy Director of the Sindh Social Welfare Department Riaz Fatima.

The Nadra representatives assured the participants in the meeting that transvestites would be provided CNICs free of cost. But they would be charged a normal fee for a modification in the record with Nadra.