Not long ago, NADRA finally decided to add 3 gender options to the National Identity Card for Pakistanis an transgender folks were finally recognized as a community in the country. We, as a nation, still have a long way to go before the transgender community is completely assimilated into the apparently ‘normal’ population. The community is in news almost every other day, mostly for the brutality they are inflicted upon but today the government took a major step toward eventual progress.

Farzana Jan, the President of a Trans Rights group in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has become the first ever transgender person in Pakistan to have a passport with trans-identity.

Trans Action Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is one alliance that has been striving, day in day out, to put an end to trans-phobia in Pakistan. They came into public consciousness with their tireless efforts to help champion the plight of transgender folks in the province.

Farzana Jan ,president of trans action alliance has become 1st transgendered person who's passport has a trans identity via trans action Pak pic.twitter.com/ndfUUqgVNW

— meena gabeena (@gabeeno) June 23, 2017

While talking to MangoBaaz, Qamar Naseem, the adviser to Trans-Action Khuber Pakhtunkhwa and a member of Chief Minister’s Special Committee on Transgender rights, said, “The occasion is as joyful to us as the addition of the third gender to our CNICs by NADRA. It will make it convenient for our community members to travel across the world without having to fear discrimination.”

Qamar also stated, “44 other people from our community have also applied for a trans-passport and we’re immensely hopeful. We’ll now start petitions for the issuance of trans driving licences and trans train tickets, as well. We would like to thank the Government of Pakistan for their cooperation.”

Farzana’s identity documents mention ‘X’ as her gender instead of the usual M or F

The reactions to this news have been overwhelmingly positive

A move in the right direction. These ppl also have rights which must be respected.

— ⚓️Captain Shaheen (@captshaheen) June 23, 2017

Happy for them

— Saad Z. (@xsaadx) June 23, 2017

This step towards the inclusion of the transgender community is indeed commendable. It is about time that we realize their rights and let go of the mindset that we have to be empathetic towards them just because they are transgender; they need all the respect and empathy in the world not because they are different but because they are human beings and are entitled to all the basic human rights.

More power to Farzana Jan and the Trans Action Khyber Pakhthunkhwa team for their efforts.