- Three transgender women were found shot dead in Karachi’s Memon Goth area on Sunday.
- Police say the attackers remain unidentified, and a motive has not been established.
- The killings add to a growing wave of violence against the transgender community in Pakistan.
- Sindh’s chief minister condemned the attack, urging dignity and respect for trans citizens.
- Pakistan passed a Transgender Rights Act in 2018, but parts were later struck down by a sharia court.
- The country has about 500,000 transgender citizens, most facing social exclusion and violence.
- A Lancet study in 2023 reported 90% of trans people in Pakistan have been physically assaulted.
Police in Karachi have launched an investigation after the bodies of three transgender women were discovered along a highway in the city’s Memon Goth area. The victims, whose identities are still being confirmed, were found with multiple gunshot wounds shortly after midnight on Sunday.
Authorities have not yet determined a motive or identified the attackers, but the killings highlight a disturbing pattern of violence against Pakistan’s transgender community. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have repeatedly warned of increasing attacks on trans people in the country.
Sindh’s provincial chief minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, condemned the killings, urging society to treat transgender citizens with dignity and respect. Despite his call, many activists say the legal protections that once offered hope to the community have been weakened.
In 2018, Pakistan passed the Transgender Rights Act, which granted individuals the right to self-identify their gender and was hailed as a landmark victory for equality. However, a sharia court later rolled back significant portions of the law, leaving many in the community more vulnerable.
Pakistan is estimated to have about half a million transgender citizens, many of whom live on the margins of society, facing discrimination, harassment, and physical violence. A 2023 Lancet report revealed that nearly 90% of transgender people in the country had suffered physical assault.
The triple murder in Karachi has reignited concerns about the safety of this marginalized group and the urgent need for stronger protections.
