The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) on Friday pronounced the reserved verdict on the pleas against Transgender Act and ruled that transgender persons cannot get their gender changed. The FSC in its ruling has said that transgender persons cannot have themselves called man or woman, adding that the government is bound to provide all rights to transgender persons. “Islam provides all human rights to transgender persons,” it added and declared that Sections 2, 3 and 7 of the Transgender Act were un-Islamic.

A two-member bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice Syed Muhammad Anwar and Justice Khadim Hussain pronounced the verdict. The court had reserved the verdict on May 11 last after the arguments of the parties in the case were completed. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), journalist Orya Maqbool Jan and others had filed petitions against the Transgender Act. The court after pronouncing the verdict disposed of the pleas.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP