Meet Sobia Khan, transperson, contesting Feb 8 polls from Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The transgender community in Pakistan has endured suppression and brutality in their lives for far too long, particularly in the country's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, where violence against the community's members has remained rampant for years.

However, a wind of change is now expected to change their lives, as they rise against the oppression with their aim to secure their rights as determined by the Constitution and law.

Sobia Khan is one transwoman from the province who is now at the forefront of the movement towards gender justice for her community, as she is contesting in the upcoming general elections scheduled to take place on February 8, 2024.

Hailing from Peshawar, Sobia has become the first transperson to contest the polls from her constituency PK-84 and has submitted her nomination papers for the provincial assembly.

"If I win the elections, I will raise funds for the women who do domestic work to earn a livelihood, so that they can sit at home and raise their children without worrying about anything," she said, narrating one of the points from her manifesto.

Despite having the confidence to take this bold step in her life, the transperson is no stranger to the discrimination that her community is known to have faced all their lives.

As a representative of the community and individuals with varying sexual orientations, Sobia shares her painful personal experiences as well, narrating how, despite completing 14 years of education possessing a bachelor's degree in arts, she remains unemployed and struggles to find acceptance in the society.

When asked what she will do for the country if she becomes the prime minister, Sobia said: "I will raise my voice for the poor, women and my community. There are many educated transpersons who remain deprived of facilities by the state."

She added that the state must include and employ transpersons in different departments, as it will encourage other transpersons to take similar steps in the future.

"Not even one transgender in KP is employed. How will they survive if they do not have a job," Sobia asked, narrating the community's ordeal.

However, her decision to enter politics is a historic moment in the province, as she is the first-ever transwoman from her area who has mustered up the courage to step forward and demand equal political and civic rights for her community.

She drew her strength and confidence due to her family's unwavering support as well as that of her community. Sobia added she is fortunate to have such strong backing from her relatives, as her confidence is not only rooted in personal conviction but also in the belief that her candidacy can bring a positive change for her people.

Sobia's main objective in participating in the 2024 general elections is to champion the rights of the oppressed, as well as hold the oppressors to account among the public.

To ensure that her community is well represented in elections, she has also filed a case in the Peshawar High Court demanding separate representation for transgenders on reserved seats in the National and provincial assemblies of Pakistan.

"If they make us contest on general seats, then it is obvious how we would win against other candidates. The ECP and PHC should issue a notification to provide us with reserved seats," she said.

Sobia said this was not an unreasonable ask from her viewpoint, as all minorities in Pakistan already have seats designated in National and provincial assemblies.

She also spoke about moving the high court against the lack of gender-specific counters at the ECP office in the city.