Marvia Malik, Pakistan's first transgender news anchor, narrowly escaped a shooting attack on her outside her home in Lahore. The incident occurred on Thursday night while she was returning from a pharmacy, when two gunmen fired without discretion. Fortunately, she survived the attack.
𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀
Malik reported to the police that she had been receiving threatening calls and messages from unidentified numbers because of her advocacy for the transgender community. To protect herself, she has temporarily relocated outside of Lahore and left her home, as per her account to the media outlet.
Malik disclosed that she had undergone surgery and returned to the city a few days ago. She maintained that her advocacy for the transgender community was a "major factor" in the attempt on her life.
𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘄
It is noteworthy that the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) claimed last year, according to GeoTV, that the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018 is not in line with Shariah because several of its provisions are inconsistent with Islamic principles. The CII also cautioned that the Transgender Persons Act may cause "new social problems".
The council requested that the government establish a committee to examine the legislation concerning the transgender community. It suggested that the committee should comprise CII members, religious scholars, and professionals in law and medicine.
𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸
In 2018, Malik made history as Pakistan's inaugural transgender news anchor. During an earlier interview with GeoTV, Malik regarded herself as a role model not just for the transgender community but for everyone.
Malik disclosed that her family was unsupportive when she resolved to make a difference in society, but she persisted in pursuing her aspirations. The news anchor deplored that trans individuals have no choice but to beg on the streets when their families abandon them. However, she also asserted that her story promotes peace and raises awareness throughout the nation.
