Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding transvestite Ali Sha, alias Alesha, who was shot eight times and seriously injured in Peshawar on May 22. Denied proper medical treatment in the hospital where doctors and staff were asking about her rates for dance and sex, she succumbed to her injuries on 25 May 2016.
Alesha was a rights defender and coordinator of TransAction Alliance, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar city.
CASE NARRATIVE:
According to information received from media reports and Blue Veins, a rights based organisation working for the empowerment of transgender, a 25-year-old transvestite Alesha, an activist and a coordinator at TransAction Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, was shot eight times on May 22, by a gang of extortionists who allegedly force the community members to make porn videos.
Following the attack, Alesha was immediately rushed to Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital, the city’s largest state run hospital. Even though Alesha was listed to be in critical condition, hospital authorities kept her waiting, untreated, for over one hour, while they decided whether to bring her to the male or female ward. Despite TransAction’s requests, she was taken to the male ward, but under the group’s protest, Alesha was switched to the women’s ward, where the other patients complained. Injured and bleeding, Alesha was constantly harassed by the hospital staff. Instead of giving her prompt medical care, doctors and staff asked her how much she charged for a one night dance, and whether she performed sex as well.
The next day, May 24, Alesha was operated on and the doctors had forewarned that Alesha has only a slim chance of surviving. For post op care, Alesha needed to be in the ICU, but the hospital couldn’t find a bed for her. She was left on a movable stretcher in the hospital’s corridor.
The hospital administration then told Alesha’s friends that they cannot put her in either the male or female wards, and that they will have to hire a private room. Alesha’s friends managed to acquire an expensive private room after many hours of struggle.
On May 25, Alesha breathed her last, succumbing to her injuries at the hands of the gang as well as the hospital staff who discriminated against her.
TransAction Alliance KPK blames the KP government for the death of Alisha. A post on their Facebook page states, “Alesha died in LRH because she never received intensive medical attention.”
A group of transvestites carried Alesha’s body to the Faqirabad police station for a demonstration. They demanded that the state and society’s discriminatory attitude towards the community must be stopped. Alesha is Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK)’s fifth transvestite casualty of 2016. Alesha’ s death has underscored the discrimination against the trans community in Pakistan. Please see the following link;http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-077-2016https://www.facebook.com/TransActionKP/
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Forty-five transgender persons have been targeted in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa since January 2016 alone. Sexual violence against the community is completely overlooked by the authorities, despite repeated attempts at seeking help from the local police. The Transaction Alliance had recently held several protests against violence and demanded security, but they were shunned away by the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to whom they wanted to present their demands. Attempts to kill, kidnap, harass, rape and humiliate transvestites have been made after the transgender community began speaking out for their rights. The community suffers extreme discrimination in access to basic facilities like health, education, livelihood, security to life, property and living a normal life like any other Pakistani.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the mentioned authorities calling upon them to initiate an inquiry into the state sponsored violence and killings of the transgender in the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Province. The provincial police should be prosecuted for their involvement in torture and harassment against transgender, and disciplinary action must be taken against the doctors and staff at Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar for not providing treatment to a transgender. The government must also immediately provide safety and security to all transgender rights defenders. The KPK police must be asked to arrest the gangs who are working in the pornographic business particularly of transgender, and the killers of Alesha.Z
The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on situation of Human Rights Defenders
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: Call to hold inquiry into murder of transgender rights defender who received eight bullet shots
Name of victim:
Ali Sha, alias Alesha, coordinator of TransgenderAction Alliance, Peshawer, KPK province
Names of alleged perpetrators:
1.Peshawar Police, KPK province,
2.The doctors and staff of Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, KPK province
3.The gang of criminals working for the pornographic business of girls and transgenders
Date of incident: May 22 and 25, 2016
Place of incident: Peshawar, KPK province
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding transvestite Ali Sha, alias Alesha, who was shot eight times and seriously injured in Peshawar on May 22. Denied proper medical treatment in the hospital where doctors and staff were asking about her rates for dance and sex, she succumbed to her injuries on 25 May 2016. Alesha was a rights defender and coordinator of TransAction Alliance, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar city.
According to information I have received that a 25-year-old transvestite Alesha, an activist and a coordinator at TransAction Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, was shot eight times on May 22, by a gang of extortionists who allegedly force the community members to make porn videos.
I was shocked after knowing that Alesha was immediately rushed to Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital, the city’s largest state run hospital. Even though Alesha was listed to be in critical condition, hospital authorities kept her waiting, untreated, for over one hour, while they decided whether to bring her to the male or female ward. Despite TransAction’s requests, she was taken to the male ward, but under the group’s protest, Alesha was switched to the women’s ward, where the other patients complained. Injured and bleeding, Alesha was constantly harassed by the hospital staff. Instead of giving her prompt medical care, doctors and staff asked her how much she charged for a one night dance, and whether she performed sex as well.
The next day, May 24, Alesha was operated on and the doctors had forewarned that Alesha has only a slim chance of surviving. For post op care, Alesha needed to be in the ICU, but the hospital couldn’t find a bed for her. She was left on a movable stretcher in the hospital’s corridor.
I am appalled that the hospital administration then told Alesha’s friends that they cannot put her in either the male or female wards, and that they will have to hire a private room. Alesha’s friends managed to acquire an expensive private room after many hours of struggle.
On May 25, Alesha breathed her last, succumbing to her injuries at the hands of the gang as well as the hospital staff who discriminated against her.
TransAction Alliance KPK blames the KP government for the death of Alisha. A post on their Facebook page states, “Alesha died in LRH because she never received intensive medical attention.”
A group of transvestites carried Alesha’s body to the Faqirabad police station for a demonstration. They demanded that the state and society’s discriminatory attitude towards the community must be stopped. Alesha is Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK)’s fifth transvestite casualty of 2016. Alesha’ s death has underscored the discrimination against the trans community in Pakistan. Please see the following link; http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-077-2016
I therefore, urge you to initiate an inquiry into the state sponsored violence and killings of the transgender in the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Province. The provincial police should be prosecuted for their involvement in torture and harassment against transgender, and disciplinary action must be taken against the doctors and staff at Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, for not providing treatment to a transgender. The authorities must also immediately provide safety and security to all transgender rights defenders. The KPK police must be asked to arrest the gangs who are working in the pornographic business particularly of transgender, and the killers of Alesha.
The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on situation of Human Rights Defenders
Yours Sincerely,
……………….
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Mian Nawaz Sharif
Prime Minister
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1596
Telephone: +92 51 920 6111, +92 51 920 6111
E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk, pspm@pmsectt.gov.pk
2. Mr. Parvez Khattak
Chief Minister KPK
Chief Minister Secretariat,
Shahibzada Abdul Qayum Road, Peshawar
Telephone: 091-9222460-464
Fax 091-9212237
Email: complaints@crckp.gov.pk
3. Mr. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan
Minister
Ministry of Interior of Pakistan
R Block, Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Telephone: +92 51 9212026
Fax: +92 51 9202624
Email: interior.complaintcell@gmail.com, ministry.interior@gmail.com
4. Mr. Zahid Hamid
Federal Minister for Human Rights
Ministry of Human Rights
State Life Building No. 5, Blue Area,
Jinnah Avenue, China Chowk, Islamabad
Fax: +92 51 9204108
Email: contact@molaw.gov.pk
5.Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court
Peshawar High Court, Khyber Road, Peshawar,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Telephone:+92-91-9210149-58
Fax: +92-91-9210170
6. Mr. Nasir Durrani
Inspector General Police Kyber Pakhtunkhwa
Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Road, Civil Secretariat Peshawar,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Telephone 9210084
Fax: 9210925
7. Directorate of Human Rights,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
6th Floor, Tasneem Plaza Near Jan’s Bakers
Saddar Road, Peshawar, Pakistan
Telephone: +92-91-9213068
Fax: +92-91-9213069
Email: dhr.kpk@gmail.com
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
