In an attempt to bring about a long-overdue change, two transgender candidates have decided to run for office in Pakistan’s upcoming general elections in 2024. They do this because they feel that the legislature is the finest venue for defending the rights of their marginalized minority.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) native Sobia Khan is running for the PK-84 seat in the Provincial Assembly. Nayyab Ali, an Okara native, is running from Islamabad for the NA-47 seat in the National Assembly.
In the next polls, Sobia will make history as the first transgender candidate in Peshawar to run as an independent, supporting the rights of women, children, and transgender people.
Since she represents an independent and powerful person in society, people in this marginalized community have found encouragement in her struggle. Her graduation with honors from Allama Iqbal Open University with a BA degree in first division was a major turning point in her professional life.
Speaking with the local press, Sobia emphasized the need to encourage transgender people to be included in mainstream education. Separate schools for transgender students, according to her, will simply serve to further the idea that they are not like the rest of society.
She questioned, “Why transgender people can’t study with boys and girls like they do in private schools where they share the same desks?” hoping that society would finally accept and love transgender people on par with men and women.
“I will raise funds for women engaged in domestic work to help them earn a livelihood, enabling them to stay at home and raise their children without worrying about anything,” she declared in an interview with Geo.tv. “If I win the elections.”
“I will raise my voice for the poor, women, and my community,” Sobia declared in response to a question about her ambitions for the nation if she were elected prime minister. Many well-educated transgender people still don’t have access to state facilities.
