A transgender woman named Zaibi was shot dead and her companion Benish critically injured during a wedding function in Abbottabad, marking the seventh murder of a transgender individual in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa so far this year.
The tragic incident underscores the alarming rise in violence against the transgender community, with over 2,800 cases of murder, assault, abduction, extortion, and other crimes reported since 2015.
The shooting took place on College Road in Sir Syed Colony, where a man identified as Malik Tauqeer opened fire on the transgender performers. Zaibi, originally from Sargodha, died on the spot, while Benish, hailing from Lahore, sustained serious injuries.
District Police Officer Umar Tufail took immediate notice of the incident, and the suspect was swiftly arrested by Mirpur police.
According to initial investigations, police revealed that the accused had a personal relationship with the victim, and an argument over mobile phone images led to the fatal confrontation.
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An FIR was registered based on Benish’s complaint. However, members of the transgender community protested, demanding that the case be filed on behalf of the deceased’s family instead.
They staged a sit-in outside Mirpur Police Station and later blocked the Silk Route, disrupting traffic and causing significant inconvenience to commuters.
The protest ended only after police assured them of proper action and confirmed the suspect’s arrest.
Activists working for transgender rights said that since 2015, at least 154 transgender individuals have been killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with over 2,800 total crimes committed against them.
This year alone, seven transgender people have been murdered across Mardan, Peshawar, and now Abbottabad, highlighting the continued vulnerability of the community.
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