Transgenders have always been a very taboo topic all around the world. But this topic is even more Taboo for 3rd World Conservative countries like Pakistan . The problem of transgenders or “hijras” has been around ever since Pakistan came into being.
Up until the last year transgenders in Pakistan did not even have the liberty to be registered as citizens of Pakistan because the documentation only had two options for gender i.e. Male and Female.
But a wind of change seems to be blowing through Pakistan with the New Leadership in power. Khan’s leadership seems to be setting benchmarks of equality for the citizen’s of Pakistan.
In a recent development the Traffic Police department of the capital city of Pakistan i.e. Islamabad have issued their first ever transgender driving license.
The license was awarded to Ali Laila a local transgender and also the president Awaz Shemale Foundation(an organization working for the betterment of shemales in Pakistan)
Laila told media that she learnt how to drive when she was only 15 years old and has been driving through the streets of Rawalpindi and Islamabad since then without a license.
She cleared all practical driving tests to get her driving license issued. This makes her the first transgender with a valid driving license in the Federal Capital of Pakistan
After KP Police, Islamabad Police have also started issuing Driving Licenses to the Transgenders community; the Winds of Change that started blowing in KP, will be entering into other parts of Pakistan now 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/8SMHwBBN7e
— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 26, 2018
Upon Issuance of her License Ali Laila was ecstatic, she said
“Today I am happy after getting the license. This development will pave way for other members of my community.”
Ali Laila was issued her National identity Card earlier in light of orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Her gender is marked ‘X’ on her Identity documents.