Last Thursday the television presenter Marvia Malik, the first transsexual presenter in the country, survived an attack with a firearm, according to the complaint filed with the authorities.
Malik was robbed in Lahore by two gunmen who shot her as she was returning to her house after visiting a pharmacy, Pakistani television Geo TV reports.
The complaint states that Malik had received repeated anonymous death threats by telephone after commenting on the 2018 Law for the Protection of the Rights of Transgender People. She was shot on Thursday night, but survived. She has now moved from home for safety.
The Islamic Ideology Council of Pakistan ruled in September that this rule “is not in line with ‘sharia'” or Islamic law because “several of its principles are not compatible with Islamic principles.”
Malik’s family tortured her and forced her to stay home when she was little, but she managed to study, graduate in journalism and become a presenter.
The Protection of the Rights of Transsexual People was approved in 2018 with praise from other countries, since it recognizes individuals the right to choose their gender identity. Those who reject it claim that it opens the door to gay marriage in Pakistan.
More than 1,500 transsexuals have been victims of rape, assault or intimidation since 2016, according to data from the Pakistani Police.
