ISLAMABAD - In order to acknowledge dignity of transgender community, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Wednesday expressed his intention of employing two transgender individuals at Supreme Court. Chief justice further observed that the transgender individuals would be employed in the top court to mainstream the community.

He made these observations while hearing a suo moto case regarding non-issuance of Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) to transgender community.

In June, the chief justice had taken notice of the matter after members of the community met him while he was visiting the Foundation House in Lahore on the occasion of Eid. The transgender individuals had complained that they were facing issues in acquirement of their identity cards.

A 3-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan took up the matter.

During the hearing, the chief justice asked if the CNICs had been issued to the transgender individuals. Chairman NADRA informed the bench that the CNICs were being issued while the facility campaign was also underway. The bench was also informed that around 342 transgender individuals had been issued identity cards.

During the hearing, the chief justice observed that the transgender community was being humiliated in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the transgender individuals were facing life threats in KP continuously. Secretary Law and Justice Commission responded that such incidents were regretted. He informed the bench that 500 transgender individuals had been killed since 2015. The bench was also informed that a guideline regarding transgender community had been formulated.

The chief justice observed that such incidents, of killing, brought the nation into disrepute, adding that the top court would employ two transgender individuals to mainstream the community.

He also took notice of websites proliferating anti-trans sentiments. In this regard, notice has been issued to NGO Blue Veins chief Qamar Naseem, whose website is allegedly provoking the sentiments.

The hearing was postponed for two weeks along with ordering a report to be presented on transgender rights in the meantime.

Meanwhile, Secretary Ministry of Law and Justice Abdul Shakoor Paracha called on the chief justice in his chamber where the former presented a cheque of Rs0.4 million as contribution to Supreme Court of Pakistan Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand Dam Fund.

Moreover, a group of 100 students of Army Burn Hall College for Boys, Abbottabad visited Supreme Court Museum as part of their study tour. The students also presented a cheque of Rs0.5 million to chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar as contribution to the fund. This fund, according to the top court’s official statement, had been raised by the students themselves.