Loopholes in data: Only 2,645 transgender persons recorded by NADRA
Islamabad: Out of an estimated ‘500 thousand’ transgender persons across Pakistan, only 2, 645 possess a Computerized National Identity Cards, as per record released by the National Database and Registration Authority (NDRA) under the Right of Access to Information Act , 2017.
The transgender representatives however strongly disagreed with this number and demanded of the government to arrange a separate population census in order to collect their actual record so that they can share benefits of the state’s development policy.
This is either because they do not have their father’s name or there was no option in the form that identifies their gender, they added.
Transgender activists term it wide gap between actual transgender population and their registration.
While talking to The Reporters, transgender rights activist Nadeem Kashish claimed that there are around 500,000 transgender persons across Pakistan, adding that over 2,000 are living only in Islamabad.
Kashish added that a majority of transgender could not be registered with NADRA owing to various push and pull factors.
As per the official document, out of a total 2,645 eunuchs, 1,709 are male, 766 female and 170 Khunsa-e-Mushkil whereas the provisional summary of the results of the last Population and Housing Consus released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the Country’s transgender population stands at 10,418 – .005 percent of the total population.
However, the NDRA record shows much less than the 6th population census.
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In province wise distribution, 131 eunuchs are registered in KP, 1,953 in Punjab, 432 in Sindh, 87 in Balochistan, 27 in Islamabad, and 15 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Therefore, 57 male eunuch, 36 female and 38 Khunsa-e-Mushkil are registered in KP while 1,308 male, 588 female and 57 Khunsa-e-Mushkil in Punjab. Likewise, 290 male, 100 female and 42 Khunsa-e-Mushkil in Sindh while 37 male, 22 female and 28 Khunsa-e-Mushkil in Balochistan, Likewise, 12 male, 11 female and 4 Khunsa-e-Mushkil are registered in Islamabad while five male, nine female and one Khunsa-e-Mushkil in AJK.
Rotten to the Core:
The information is shared by the NADRA after the Pakistan Information Commission issued a detailed verdict filed by this scribe under the Right of Access to Information Act 2017.
NADRA was directed to provide the requested information by Sept 10, 2020. In the order of the Commission, Chairman NADRA was also directed to deduct five-day salary of designated Public Information Officer Faik Ali Chachar for ‘willful denial of requested information’ under Section 20(f) of the Act.
