ILGA ASIA

Pakistan: Targeted harassment and expulsion of transgender individuals across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa needs to stop

On 10 September 2025, Swabi city police raided a music show and arrested 226 individuals, including several transgender individuals, for allegedly resisting the raid among other charges. The musical show was accused of playing “immoral” songs and showcasing “obscene dances.” On 14 September 2025, a committee of elders was formed in the Swabi district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, including political and community leaders, to expel transgender individuals from the area in order to “protect the youth.” The committee formed by the elders requested transgender communities in Swabi district to voluntarily leave the area and earn their livelihood elsewhere, stating further that police will be mobilised to ensure the expulsion if necessary. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has strongly condemned this decision, emphasizing that no citizen can be deprived of the right to reside, work, or earn a livelihood on the basis of their gender identity. 

ILGA Asia strongly implores authorities to stop the harassment and expulsion of transgender individuals across the KP province. Transgender and Khawaja sira individuals sometimes perform in social events like weddings to earn a livelihood. Forced relocation of entire communities and bans on private gatherings on the grounds of vague morality laws, especially to disenfranchise an already marginalised and vulnerable population from a common source of their income, constitutes gross violations to the constitutional, economic, and social rights of transgender individuals in the province.

The contemporary recognition and protection of transgender and khawaja sira rights in Pakistan had been hard won, and are still under threat today. Since being passed in 2018, the progressive Transgender Persons (Protection and Rights) Act has come under consistent attack in Pakistan, reflected recently in the 2023 judicial decision rescinding some of the Act’s protections purported to be contradictory to religious teachings. The campaign from political and community elders in Swabi to forcibly displace and further marginalise transgender individuals from the district is an incitement to violence, and reflects an upward trend in such violence: there have been eight reported killings of transgender individuals in the province this year, resulting in an August 2025 protest against the spate of these violent attacks.

Transgender community representatives have rejected the Swabi district committee’s decision, stressing that they respect cultural traditions while earning their livelihood, and expressed willingness to stop performing at social functions if provided with alternative employment opportunities by the government. Transgender activists and individuals also filed a petition against the police and the formation of the Swabi district committee in the Peshawar High Court, requesting protection and a cease to all forms of targeted attacks and harassment against transgender communities. The Court has requested the Inspector General of Police in Khyber Phakhtunkhwa to submit a detailed report by 4 November on the events around the arrests, the forced expulsion campaign, and on the trend of increased violence against the transgender community in the province. Despite this effort, harassment has reportedly not ceased.

On 15 October 2025, transgender activists held a press conference in Peshawar accusing police officers and socially influential individuals of commencing the forced expulsion of transgender persons from Swabi, Nowshera, Charsadda, and other areas in the province. They highlighted a lack of police action despite numerous reports of widespread and targeted extortion, violence, and killings of transgender individuals in Swabi, as “the police were busy evicting… community members from their homes.” They stated examples of transgender women being assaulted and expelled from their homes by the police, with reportedly no support received from local government officials when seeking protection or redress. 

“The recent decision to expel transgender individuals from Swabi district is a stark reminder of the systemic violence and discrimination faced by the trans community in Pakistan. This incident is not isolated, but rather a symptom of a larger issue of societal intolerance and lack of implementation of protective laws. As a nation, we must recognise the humanity and dignity of all individuals, regardless of their gender identity. It’s imperative that authorities take concrete steps to protect the rights and safety of transgender persons. The struggle for equality and justice must not be overlooked.” states Mahnoor, Programme Director at Khawaja Sira Society and South Asia Representative of ILGA Asia Executive Board.

ILGA Asia condemns any and all forms of violence against transgender persons and communities. The situation in KP province is alarming as it is indicative of the blatant disregard for the right of transgender people to exist in society with their traditions and identity respected and protected. Gender identity and expression should never be grounds for violent expulsion of people from their homes. ILGA Asia calls on relevant institutions in Pakistan to uphold and implement the protections enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan and the Transgender Persons (Protections and Rights) Act and to ensure the human rights of transgender and persons with diverse gender identities are respected, protected, and fulfilled. 

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