ISLAMABAD
\nThe Federal Shariat Court (FSC) on Thursday sought a report from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) on the process of issuing identity cards based on the definition of \u201ctransgender\u201d. \u201cHow does NADRA define transgender male and transgender female?\u201d asked the Shariat Court.
\nThe court ordered NADRA to submit a report within 15 days, detailing the definition of the term \u201ctransgender\u201d and how it is considered in the process of issuing identity cards.
\nNADRA\u2019 counsel argued that Regulation 13 of the issuing authority has become ineffective with the introduction of the Transgender Act.
\nEven before the Transgender Act 2018 was promulgated, NADRA would issue identity cards to transgender individuals, said the counsel.
\nSince the Transgender Act, transgender individuals have the letter \u201cX\u201d written for their gender, instead of \u201cM\u201d or \u201cF\u201d, he added.
\nWhen the FSC judge asked how NADRA defines a transgender woman and transgender man, the counsel asked for more time to prepare a response.
\nChief Justice Dr Syed Mohammad Anwar expressed displeasure and said that the court was hearing the case after many days but the authority failed to prepare the main point.
\n\u201cExplain to the court under what procedure NADRA is determining the transgender identity,\u201d ordered the FSC chief justice.
\nJamaat-e-Islami Senator Mushtaq Shayari also appeared in court. Referring to the award winning film Joyland, the senator said that a film about transgenders in Pakistan is releasing on November 18.
\nThe film is based on the romantic story of a transgender woman and a man, he said, claiming that the Censor Board has cleared the release of the film without even viewing it.
\nSenator Mushtaq also requested a \u201chalt on all matters related to the Transgender Act until the matter is resolved\u201d.
\nFurther, he said that NADRA should answer whether someone requesting a transgender identity card undergoes a medical test.
\n\u201cHow many people have benefited from the transgender law?\u201d asked the chief justice of the Shariat Court.
\nHe claimed that so far, the number of beneficiaries of the Transgender Act has been reported to be zero.
\nAccording to a representative of the Ministry of Human Rights, a transgender protection center has been established in the ministry.
\n\u201cThe ministry of human rights should seriously look into the issue of transgenders,\u201d said Justice Anwar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) on Thursday sought a report from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) on the process of issuing identity cards based on the definition of \u201ctransgender\u201d. \u201cHow does NADRA define transgender male and transgender female?\u201d asked the Shariat Court. The court ordered NADRA to submit a report within 15 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":294570,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[6559],"class_list":{"0":"post-294562","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national","8":"tag-federal-shariat-court"},"yoast_head":"\n