Transgender gunned down in northwest Pakistan

<p>Peshawar, May 25 (PTI): A transgender person returning home from a wedding ceremony was gunned down by two assailants in northwest Pakistan on Sunday night, local police said.</p><p>Shahab alias Wafa was a resident of Taru Jabba, a suburban locality of Peshawar district, they said.</p><p>As Sahab was leaving the venue in Dargai area of Malakand district, two armed men – one of them identified as Shoaib – opened indiscriminate fire at her vehicle, police said. Sahab was shot in the head and died on the spot, police said, adding that her driver, Naveed, was critically injured. The incident caused panic in the area, they said.</p><p>Police have registered a case and launched an investigation.</p><p>Transgender rights activist Farzana Jan condemned the killing and expressed deep sorrow.</p><p>“It is heartbreaking that yet another member of our community has been gunned down. This continues to happen… we are either being extorted or targeted with bullets,” she said.</p><p>Jan urged the government and human rights organisations to provide protection to transgender individuals, especially in areas where they are most vulnerable.</p><p>“We have always raised our voices for the rights and safety of transgender persons and will continue to do so. Protection is our basic right, and the government must ensure it. We can only protest, and if even that is taken away from us, it will be an extreme injustice,” she added.</p><p>She demanded that the culprits be arrested and given an exemplary punishment. PTI AYZ RHL RHL</p><p><i>(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)</i></p>