A transgender person who refused to have relations with a man was attacked with acid in Pakistan’s Punjab province’s Lahore city, PTI reported. Kinza, a 23-year-old transgender, was waiting for an auto rickshaw by the side of a road in Race Course area of the city on Wednesday when she was attacked by Hamza Salim, police said.
Hamza appeared on a motorbike there and threw acid on her before fleeing the scene, news agency PTI reported. Police claimed to have arrested the suspect and registered a case against him and three other accomplices.
Kinza was taken to the Services Hospital immediately, where she received treatment for her arm and face burns. It was reported that her condition was stable.
Kinza’s friend Hina told reporters at the hospital that Hamza wanted to develop relations with her, to which she refused.
On her refusal, the suspect turned hostile and threatened to kill her. Hina also alleged that Hamza was the leader of a gang that intimidated transgender people in the city and requested CM of Punjab to provide security to Kinza.
Ataullah Tarar, the interior minister, met Kinza at the hospital and praised the police for the quick action. He asserted that there was zero tolerance for such acts, PTI reported.
Approximately 77% of transgenders in Pakistan have reported physical attacks, according to a recent study. The study says the transgender community is socially excluded by the Pakistani society. The transgenders experience high levels of physical abuse and face discriminatory behaviour in daily life.
“Such attitudes make them vulnerable for risky behaviors, such as compelling them to become commercial sex workers, begging, drug use, and even suicidal ideation,” it says.
In October 2021, a transgender woman died in another instance of acid attack.
Under Section 144 of the Pakistan Penal Code, public dealing of acid and other corrosive substances is banned. Offenders are punishable under Section 336(B) of the Pakistan Penal Code, which has a maximum term of life imprisonment.
The National Assembly passed the Acid and Burn Crime Bill in 2018, which seeks to specifically criminalise acid and burn-related violence by ensuring a fair and expeditious trial for such heinous crimes as well as for matters related to and incidental to them.