Transgender killed, another injured in Peshawar firing

PESHAWAR: A transgender was killed and another injured when armed men opened fire on them in Palosai area in the wee hours of Wednesday, officials said.

A police official said the transgender persons were returning to the city after performing at a wedding ceremony in Palosai when unidentified persons opened fire on them.

The official said that Gul Panra (whose real name was Shakil) died on the spot while Chahat (Tariq) sustained injuries and was shifted to the Khyber Teaching Hospital.

Initial reports suggested that Gul Panra had received six bullets. Her body was taken to the Khyber Teaching Hospital for an autopsy.

The attack happened soon after a group of transgender persons performed at the wedding.

Capital City Police Officer Muhammad Ali Gandapur constituted a special team to investigate the incident and arrest the culprits.

“Police have started questioning some of the participants of the wedding ceremony. The footage of the function has been collected to find if anyone from the participants was behind the attack,” said an official.

“We are investigating the case. They have not charged anyone in the first information report,” Mohammad Ali Gandapur told The News.

The human rights activists and the transgender group leaders, while condemning the incident, demanded protection for other members of the community.

They recalled that a number of attacks have happened in Peshawar and other parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan over the last few years.

The “Justice for Gul Panra” was the top trend on twitter throughout Wednesday, with thousands of people condemning the attack and asking for protection for other members of the transgender community.

The activists demanded the police and the government to ensure the arrest of the killers of Gul Panra and all other accused involved in attacks on transgender community members in the past.

They also demanded an exemplary punishment to the accused so no one can attack them in future.

Apart from security, the activists also demanded respect and all the basic rights for the transgender people.