Dedicated seminary for transgenders starts enrolling students

Islamabad : Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Muhammad Hamza Shafqat is succeeding in his mission to transform the lives of the transgender community as the first-ever dedicated Madrassah (seminary) set up for a marginalized segment of society, has started enrolling the students from every age group.

"So far, 25 transgenders have been enrolled in the seminary set up in Mehrabadi, confirmed Hamza, who has taken a lead in providing the much-needed relief to a segment that remained neglected for various reasons.

Mehrabadi is located on the outskirts of the federal capital.

He said initially, clerics had been hired for the seminary, who would impart basic education and religious teachings to the area’s transgender community, which would eventually ensure their rehabilitation as shelter, food, and skills were being provided to them under one roof.

“The entire plan is to bring the transgender into the mainstream by disengaging them from the anti-social activities. More initiatives are on the cards to make sure their social acceptance,” he maintained.

The DC said efforts were also afoot to impart them various skills that will definitely help them get more employment opportunities across the country.

Hamza said he was in constant contact with the leaders of the community for opening up more such places in other areas where they were in concentration in the capital city.

He expressed the hope that other provinces would also replicate the initiative for rehabilitation of a neglected segment of the society.

“We want to end this discrimination as even the Almighty does not discriminate among people.

Islam treats everyone as a human being so the transgender should also be treated equally,” Hamza remarked.

He also informed this agency about his intent to provide job opportunities to them in various government departments once they attained basic education from the institution.

The deputy commissioner said the local administration had recently invited the applications from the transgender people to hire them on daily wages, following the instruction of Prime Minister Imran Khan to ensure their job quota in the public sector.

At least two transgender would be inducted at the administration, he said while citing the example of Islamabad Capital Territory police that had recently appointed a transgender in the force.

Meanwhile, the transgender community also lauded the steps of administration for opening the first-ever Islamic institution for transgender community in the federal capital.

They were of the view that after getting the education from the institute, the community would certainly indulge in positive activities.

Transgender people were deprived of education and basic facilities, most of them are abandoned by their families and co-habitat in shared houses, regretted Nayab Ali -- a transgender activist.

Nayab urged the government to establish dedicated educational institute for the community to make them able to earn respectable living in Pakistan.

Nayab said the transgender related laws prohibited discrimination and harassment of the transgender, besides ensuring their rights.

Contrary to this, the community faced discrimination and rampant violence due to weak implementation, she stressed.