Police baton-charge transgender protesters

HARIPUR: Police used force against transgender protesters during a demonstration on GT Road in Haripur, where members of the community had gathered to press for their rights, according to a report.

The protest took place near the Karakoram Highway, where transgender persons assembled and raised slogans against the police. The demonstrators alleged that police had placed restrictions on the transgender community and were subjecting them to harassment.

The protesters said police action was affecting their livelihoods by stopping them from organising entertainment programmes. They maintained that these restrictions were depriving them of employment opportunities.

Clash during protest

The police moved to disperse the gathering under Section 144, which had been enforced across Murree. When the protesters resisted the move, police baton-charged the crowd to clear the area.

Two transgender persons and some police personnel were injured during the clash. Those hurt were taken to hospital for treatment.

Several transgender persons were also taken into custody and shifted to the city police station following the confrontation.

Protest over rights and employment

The demonstration was organised to highlight grievances of the transgender community, particularly over what the protesters described as police harassment and curbs on their activities. The participants had blocked the road during the protest while chanting slogans against the police.

The incident unfolded as police sought to enforce restrictions linked to Section 144. The resulting confrontation left both protesters and police personnel injured, and ended with arrests and the transfer of detainees to the police station.

the police action as alleged torture of several transgender persons during the protest. It also said the injured from both sides were shifted to hospital after the clash on GT Road.

The protest centred on demands related to rights, freedom from harassment and the ability to continue entertainment-related work, which the transgender community said was a source of income. The police intervention, however, led to a violent dispersal of the gathering and the detention of several participants.