PESHAWAR, Pakistan — In a tragic incident that underscores the escalating violence against transgender individuals in Pakistan, two men armed with daggers fatally attacked two transgender women in their residence late Sunday night in Mardan, a city situated in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The assailants managed to escape from the scene, leaving local law enforcement to investigate the motive behind this heinous crime, which remains unclear, as confirmed by police chief Fahim Khan.

Transgender individuals in Pakistan frequently endure harassment, abuse, and violence, particularly in regions where conservative values prevail. This vulnerability is compounded by the threat of so-called honor killings, wherein family members target individuals believed to have brought shame due to perceived sexual misconduct. Farzana Jan, who serves as the President of the Trans Action rights organization in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, highlighted that since the beginning of the year, nine transgender individuals have lost their lives to gun violence in the province alone.

Jan pointed out that previous cases have not resulted in justice for the victims, largely due to the tendency for family members to forgive the perpetrators or a lack of thorough pursuit by the legal system. Amid these distressing circumstances, the transgender community has indicated that they will stage protests demanding action if the attackers are not apprehended. “We have issued a three-day ultimatum to the police to arrest those responsible for the recent murders in Mardan,” Jan stated emphatically. “If we do not see progress, we will mobilize for rallies to call attention to the violence targeting our community,” she asserted.

While precise statistics regarding the transgender population in Pakistan are unavailable, estimates by Jan suggest that roughly 75,000 transgender individuals reside in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone. Mardan, the city where the tragic incident took place, is positioned approximately 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Peshawar. The ongoing violence against transgender individuals continues to raise critical concerns about their safety and the urgent need for legal and social reforms in the region.