The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ordered the Punjab government to establish segregated cells for transgender inmates in all prisons across the province.
LHC’s Justice Baqar Najafi issued the verdict after hearing a case about providing facilities to prisoners, particularly transgenders.
The petitioner contended in his request that the lack of separate facilities causes ‘humiliation’ for transgender prisoners. Male inmates often subject them to sexual harassment since they share the cells with them.
After analyzing the arguments, Justice Baqar Najafi ruled that separate cells be established for transgender people. Meanwhile, the court demanded a progress report regarding the implementation of the order and adjourned the case until 20 January 2023.
HIV Surge in Transgenders
Earlier, the National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination (NHSR&C) revealed in a report that HIV cases are increasing in the transgender community and male youth, particularly in Islamabad. So far, the authorities haven’t taken any action to combat this life-threatening disease.
Pakistan’s transgender community is mainly involved in prostitution due to a lack of job opportunities for them in other sectors, and engagement in such activities is increasing the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among them.
Hence, it is important for the government to integrate transgenders into other respectable professions through proper legislation and policy-making.
