Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police have decided to establish dedicated help desks for transgender people at police facilitation centres across the province.
The initiative aims to provide easier access to police services and help transgender people report complaints and seek assistance.
Mardan Deputy Inspector General Qasim Ali Khan said protecting the rights of transgender people is a priority for the police.
He said the community, along with women, elderly people and persons with disabilities, should have access to dedicated public services.
Dedicated Desks to Handle Complaints
The proposed desks will provide transgender people with a dedicated platform to register complaints and seek police assistance.
Officials said the initiative is intended to improve access to justice and address complaints more effectively.
Charsadda District Police Officer Rifatullah Khan said transgender people are an important part of society.
He said violence against them and denial of their basic rights, including registration of First Information Reports, would not be tolerated.
The first dedicated transgender desk is being established through the existing Police Sahulat Markaz system.
These centres already provide dedicated services for women, minority communities, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
Transgender Community Welcomes Police Initiative
Transgender social activist Rehano welcomed the decision.
She said a dedicated police desk could help improve respect and dignity for transgender people.
She also described the initiative as recognition of the community’s distinct identity and needs.
Sobia Khan, one of the first transgender jail warders in K-P, highlighted the challenges faced by members of the community.
She said transgender people can face rejection within their families and discrimination outside their homes.
According to Khan, representatives of the transgender community met senior police officials after a rise in reported violence.
Those meetings contributed to the decision to establish dedicated desks at police facilitation centres.
170 Transgender People Reportedly Killed Since 2015
Data obtained from the K-P Transgender Association shows the scale of the problem.
The association reported that around 170 transgender people have been killed in K-P since 2015.
It also reported more than 700 incidents of violence against transgender people during the same period.
The figures indicate an average of around 63 reported violence incidents each year.
The new police desks are expected to give members of the community a direct channel for reporting violence, harassment and other complaints.
The initiative comes after the Peshawar High Court directed police in July to refrain from harassing transgender people.
The court also sought responses from the provincial government, police and other authorities regarding allegations of harassment and illegal evictions.
The dedicated desks are now being presented as part of broader efforts to improve police access and protection for transgender people across K-P.
