SHC grants Govt 14 days to enforce transgender rights law

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday granted 14 days to the federal government to implement the Transgender Persons (protection of rights) Act 2018, ARY News reported.

A petition filed in the court pleaded to the bench that the court had ordered the government to devise rules and guidelines for implementation of the transgender persons’ rights law. But the law yet to come into force.

Deputy Attorney General, told the court (SHC) that the rules for the law have been hammered out and soon to be approved by the federal cabinet.

The government will also set up protection centre for transgender persons, DAG further said.

“Devising rules for the law not required that much time, which you have you have spent,” the bench remarked.

“The matter delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” federal government law officer said.

“The rules for the law have been devised with the help from transgender community and 14 organizations were consulted over the matter,” the law officer further said.

The court (SHC) granted 14 days to the federal government to implement the rules of Transgender Persons (protection of rights) Act 2018.

The court had in an earlier proceeding over the matter last year, had directed the ministry of human rights to notify rules and relevant guidelines within 60 days and implement the law in letter and spirit.