A transgender individual, Shehzad alias Gul Panra, was critically injured in a shooting incident in Charsadda and was subsequently rushed to Lady Reading Hospital after receiving first aid at Charsadda Hospital.
The incident occurred between Sunday and Monday at 3:30 a.m. in Shaheer Plaza on Mardan Road, where numerous transgenders reside on the third floor. The accused, identified as Taimur, shot and injured Shehzad.
Muhammad Basit, a casualty police officer at the District Headquarters Hospital Charsadda, informed TNN that the injured person was brought in for first aid. Shehzad told the police that Taimur, son of Sarwar and a resident of Kaladher, Charsadda, was the shooter, though no motive was provided.
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According to the police, Shehzad, a resident of Navi Kaly in Peshawar, was shot three times: in the chest, abdomen, and back. The City Police have registered a case under section 324 (attempted murder) against Taimur. The shooting took place approximately 500 meters from Charsadda's Farooq-e-Azam Chowk towards Mardan Road. Despite the presence of police personnel who are usually on duty in front of the plaza, there were no officers present during the incident.
Muaz-ud-Din, a 65-year-old watchman at the plaza, recounted hearing the gunfire while sitting outside. He mentioned that it was too dark to identify the shooter, but he noted that the person had been conversing with the transgenders for several hours before fleeing through the back exit of the plaza.
Farzana Riaz, president of the Trans Action Alliance, an organization advocating for transgender rights in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, expressed concern over the rising violence against transgenders in the province. She highlighted that from 2015 to 2024, around 124 transgenders were killed and over 3,000 injured in the region. Riaz criticized the police and state institutions for their failure to protect the transgender community.
Responding to why transgenders often do not pursue their cases in court, Riaz explained that they receive threats after filing FIRs. Even if they attempt to follow through with legal proceedings, they face threats and attacks. She called for the government and police to take stronger measures to protect transgenders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, hoping that the chief minister would take notice and prompt action to improve the situation.
In social circles, transgenders are sometimes accused of contributing to moral decline among the youth. However, last month, transgender organizations led by Farzana Riaz at the Peshawar Press Club demanded the IG of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa vacate Iqbal Plaza and announced their detachment from the transgenders residing there. Following this statement, Riaz reported receiving threats of murder and rape, further heightening her sense of insecurity.
According to Pakistan's statistical office, there are approximately 5,000 transgenders living in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with 35 having been killed in the last three years. However, transgender organizations claim that the actual number is closer to 50,000.
