PESHAWAR/BANNU: The transgender community of Mardan on Friday moved the Peshawar High Court against the local police over the alleged harassment and orders to leave the district.

Also, transgender persons of Bannu accused the local police of forcing them to grow beards and stop musical and dance performances.

Two transgender persons of Mardan, including Zahoor Mehmood and Iftikhar, jointly filed a petition with the high court seeking orders for the Mardan police to stop taking any adverse action against their community.

Members of the community allege Bannu police forcing them to grow beards, stop dance performances

They also requested the court to ask the police not to bar them from participating in events, gatherings and marriages as dancers and singers saying performing in such functions is the only source of their earning livelihood.

The respondents in the petition are the provincial police officer, Mardan district police officer and deputy inspector general of police, Mardan Range.

The petition is filed through advocate Gul Rehman Mohmand.

The petitioners also requested the court for interim relief praying that until the final disposal of the petition, the police should be stopped from dislodging them from their houses in the district.

The petitioners said they were permanent residents of Mardan, lived in their own houses and performed in different gatherings, weddings and events to earn livelihood.

They alleged that the Mardan DPO had ordered all police officials in the district not to allow transgender persons to perform in events and act against those doing so on criminal charges.

The petitioners added that the DPO had also asked the members of transgender community to leave the district.

They said the DPO had alleged in a meeting that they’re involved in crimes like kidnapping, theft, drug selling and prostitution, but didn’t prove the allegation.

The petitioners said their requests to the DPO against adverse action against them fell on deaf ears.

They said like other citizens of the country, they’re entitled to equal rights promised in the Constitution and therefore, the same should be provided to them.

Also in the day, transgender persons in Bannu alleged that the local police were forcing them to either grow beards and stop musical and dance performances or leave the district.

Komal and Kiran told reporters at the Bannu Press Club that the local police had restricted their musical and dance performances declaring them a threat to peace in the district.

They said the restriction didn’t exist in any other part of the country.

The transgender persons said they earned a livelihood by dancing and singing in marriage and childbirth ceremonies and that was the only source of their income and the restriction had caused serious financial problems to them.

When contacted, Bannu district police officer Sadiq Baloch denied the allegation and said the policemen hadn’t been told verbally or in writing to tell transgender persons to either grow beards or leave the district.

He insisted that transgender persons were levelling false allegations against the police just to gain the people’s sympathies.

The DPO said he would ensure strict action if any police official or other people were found to be involved in threatening transgender persons.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2018