World Desk, AnyTV, Islamabad
Published by: Harendra Chaudhary
Updated Sat, 05 Mar 2022 02:43 PM IST
Summary
Analysts say the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act has been controversial ever since it was passed. There has been a constant protest against this in the fundamentalist circles of the society. The matter is now under the purview of the Sharia Court. Homosexuality is considered a crime in Islam. While the government says that the purpose of this law is to protect transgender persons…
The controversy over the issue of rights of transgender persons in Pakistan has intensified. The Federal Shariat Court of the country has put the Federal Human Rights Ministry in the dock in this matter. The court has asked tough questions on the reply filed by the ministry in the Sharia court regarding the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act enacted in 2018. The case is being heard by a three-judge Bench of Sharia Court. The bench is headed by Chief Justice Mohamed Noor Meskanzai.
The court asked questions to the ministry
The court personally summoned the Director General of the ministry to the court for cross-examination on the reply filed by the Ministry of Human Rights. Judge Saeed Mohammad Anwar, who was included in the bench, asked him a direct question – is the Ministry of Human Rights supporting homosexuality. The court also asked questions to the legal advisor of the ministry in this matter. Justice Anwar said- It seems that the government is trying to abolish the existing law against same-sex marriage.
Justice Anwar also raised objections to the mention of LGBT rights in the ministry’s reply. He asked- ‘Who has written this letter? Do you know what LGBT rights are? Is the Ministry of Human Rights supporting LGBT rights in Pakistan?’
Analysts say the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act has been controversial ever since it was passed. There has been a constant protest against this in the fundamentalist circles of the society. The matter is now under the purview of the Sharia Court. Homosexuality is considered a crime in Islam. Whereas the government says that the purpose of this law is to protect transgender persons.
Threatened to present Human Rights Minister in court
The Sharia Court had sent a notice to the government on this law. On that only the Ministry of Human Rights submitted its reply. But the court has got furious over the language used in it. Justice Anwar warned that if the government failed to give an explanation on the questions raised on the ministry’s reply, the Human Rights Minister would be called directly to the court. He said that the court cannot accept the answer prepared by copy-pasting of the Internet.
The petitioners challenging this law in the court say that this law is the first step towards legalizing same-sex marriage. The opposition party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazlur) has been continuously opposing this law. Party MP Naima Kishwar has argued that there are many serious flaws in this law. In November last, Jamiat introduced a bill to amend this law in the National Assembly.
Analysts say that this controversy is an example of growing radicalism in Pakistan. Human rights groups have long campaigned to protect transgender people. Under the pressure of the same, the government had made a law in 2018. But since then the fundamentalists have retaliated against it.
Expansion
The controversy over the issue of rights of transgender persons in Pakistan has intensified. The Federal Shariat Court of the country has put the Federal Human Rights Ministry in the dock in this matter. The court has asked tough questions on the reply filed by the ministry in the Sharia court regarding the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act enacted in 2018. The case is being heard by a three-judge Bench of Sharia Court. The bench is headed by Chief Justice Mohamed Noor Meskanzai.
The court asked questions to the ministry
The court personally summoned the Director General of the ministry to the court for cross-examination on the reply filed by the Ministry of Human Rights. Judge Saeed Mohammad Anwar, who was included in the bench, asked him a direct question – is the Ministry of Human Rights supporting homosexuality. The court also asked questions to the legal advisor of the ministry in this matter. Justice Anwar said- It seems that the government is trying to abolish the existing law against same-sex marriage.
Justice Anwar also raised objections to the mention of LGBT rights in the ministry’s reply. He asked- ‘Who has written this letter? Do you know what LGBT rights are? Is the Ministry of Human Rights supporting LGBT rights in Pakistan?’
Analysts say the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act has been controversial ever since it was passed. There has been a constant protest against this in the fundamentalist circles of the society. The matter is now under the purview of the Sharia Court. Homosexuality is considered a crime in Islam. Whereas the government says that the purpose of this law is to protect transgender persons.
Threatened to present Human Rights Minister in court
The Sharia Court had sent a notice to the government on this law. On that only the Ministry of Human Rights submitted its reply. But the court has got furious over the language used in it. Justice Anwar warned that if the government failed to give an explanation on the questions raised on the ministry’s reply, the Human Rights Minister would be called directly to the court. He said that the court cannot accept the answer prepared by copy-pasting of the Internet.
The petitioners challenging this law in the court say that this law is the first step towards legalizing same-sex marriage. The opposition party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazlur) has been continuously opposing this law. Party MP Naima Kishwar has argued that there are many serious flaws in this law. In November last, Jamiat introduced a bill to amend this law in the National Assembly.
Analysts say that this controversy is an example of growing radicalism in Pakistan. Human rights groups have long campaigned to protect transgender people. Under the pressure of the same, the government had made a law in 2018. But since then the fundamentalists have retaliated against it.