In theory, Pakistan has progressive laws that protect trans rights. Historical references to the gender-diverse community go back thousands of years in South Asia, and Pakistan is one of only 12 countries in the world that recognises transgender identity on national ID cards.
But the community, known as the Khawaja Sira, was criminalised by the British Raj under the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871, and trans people in Pakistan still suffer from the attitudes it embedded.
In recent years, violence against trans people has been on the rise. Last November, Nayyab Ali, a prominent trans activist, was attacked in her Islamabad home by two men wielding knives. She was held hostage for three hours, during which time she was beaten and robbed.
