Violence against Transgender Community in Pakistan: Three Bodies Discovered

Tue Sep 30 2025 03:31:22 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The ongoing violence against transgender individuals in Pakistan is underscored by the tragic discovery of three shot dead in Karachi. Activists call for renewed efforts to protect and respect this vulnerable community.

The bodies of three transgender women were found shot dead on a highway in Karachi, Pakistan, highlighting the growing violence against the transgender community. Authorities are investigating the incident as Amnesty International raises alarms about the alarming rise of such violence. Despite previous legislative efforts to ensure the rights of transgender individuals, social exclusion and abuse persist, with a recent report indicating that 90% of transgender people in Pakistan experience physical violence.

Police in Pakistan have found the bodies of three transgender people on a roadside in the southern city of Karachi, marking another incident of violence against this marginalized community.

The victims were discovered shot dead by unidentified assailants shortly after midnight on Sunday in the Memon Goth area, according to city police official Javed Ahmed Abro, who confirmed that the bullet-riddled bodies of three transgender women had been located on a highway.

Authorities are currently working to confirm the identities of the deceased and have yet to establish a motive for the killings.

Amnesty International has expressed deep concern over the rising violence against transgender individuals, colloquially referred to as Hijras in Pakistan, indicating a grave need for societal change and protection for this vulnerable group.

Transgender persons are a vulnerable segment of society, and we must all give them dignity and respect, stated Syed Murad Ali Shah, the chief minister of Sindh province.

In 2018, Pakistan's Senate passed a bill aimed at safeguarding transgender rights, allowing individuals to determine their own gender identity. However, subsequent revocations of key sections by a sharia court have undermined these protections.

There are approximately half a million transgender citizens in Pakistan, many of whom face significant social exclusion and abuse. A 2023 report published in The Lancet revealed that 90% of transgender individuals experience physical assaults.