Transgender person tortured, shot dead in Peshawar

Her body was found in a sack after which police arrested two suspects, including owner of the deceased’s residence

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PESHAWAR: A transgender person was killed near Bara Gate in the city when unidentified persons opened fire at her on Thursday.

According to the police, the transgender person, identified as Sajid alias Arzoo, was shot dead at her residence Thursday morning.

Her body was found in a sack later in the evening and it bore torture marks, police added.

Subsequently, two suspects were arrested and an FIR was also registered against the case. One of the arrested persons included the owner of Arzoo's residence.

Condemning the incident, Trans Action Pakistan, an organisation working for the rights of transgender persons, stated that this was the 62nd killing of a transgender person in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 2015. 

About 478 cases of violence were recorded in 2018, the organisation said.

Violence against transgender persons continues unabated in the region. 

A few days back, three transgender persons were wounded in a knife attack by unidentified people in Peshawar’s Sarband area.

In March, a transgender person and her friend were shot dead in Peshawar. They were en route to Patand Chowk from Iqbal Plaza in a rickshaw when unidentified persons opened fire at them.

The National Commission for Human Rights Pakistan had taken notice of the incident and directed Khyber Pakhtukhwa inspector general to submit an investigative report on the matter.