In a first, Rawalpindi police set up special reporting desk for transgenders
A transgender person has also been assigned to work as a support officer to facilitate the community in police dealings
May 16, 2020
The Rawalpindi police have set up a special reporting desk on the premises of a women's police station to facilitate the transgender community, according to a report published in Dawn.
A transgender woman police officer has been appointed victim support officer to facilitate complainants from the marginalised community.
The appointee, Reem Shareef, holds a master's degrees in International Relations and is a prominent activist based in Islamabad. Sharif, who was recently recruited in the police force, has been celebrated as the first ever transgender to join any Pakistani security force.
According to the report, a male and female police officer will work with her at the “Tahaffuz” reporting centre.
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The transgender community, in general, remains underprivileged in Pakistan.
After years of discrimination, the community gained recognition when the Supreme Court in 2009 granted it special status with rights equal to other citizens.
In 2012, the National Database and Registration Authority started providing transgendered community members with a gender category on the registration form for them to obtain a computerised national identity card (NIC).
