PESHAWAR - The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday sought reply from the Election Commission of Pakistan in a writ petition filed by transgender community of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa calling for giving them the right as voters and as candidates in the upcoming general elections.
A two-member divisional bench comprising of Justice Ikramullah Khan and Justice Ghazanfar Khan while hearing the petition issued notices to the ECP and government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to reply the court.
A week earlier, the KP transgender community had moved the PHC seeking directions for the ECP and the provincial government to ensure their participation as voters and candidates in the upcoming polls.
The writ petition was filed by Trans Action Alliance President Farzana Jan and General Secretary Arzu through their lawyer Gul Rehman Mohmand, the transgender community made the ECP, KP government and KPCC as parties to the petition and requested the high court to direct them to formulate a viable strategy for facilitation of transgender community in the electoral process as voters and candidates for the upcoming general election.
In the petition, they called that a new column should be created for transgender and intersex community in nomination form to enable the community to contest elections inclusively. The petitioners prayed ECP should specify the polling station for transgender community for voting.
They also requested court to direct ECP for giving transgender community right of priority voting at polling booths, without standing in queues, and ensure proper environment to prevent their harassment at polling booths.
