The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) has pronounced the reserved verdict on the pleas against Transgender Act and ruled that transgender persons cannot get their gender changed, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Friday.
The FSC in its ruling has said that transgender persons cannot have themselves called man or woman, adding that the government is bound to provide all rights to transgender persons.
“Islam provides all human rights to transgender persons,” it added and declared that Sections 2, 3 and 7 of the Transgender Act were un-Islamic.
The court also ruled that no one could be called a man because of the physical features. “Under Section 7 of the act, anyone could get the desired share from inheritance by choosing a specific gender. Share from inheritance can be given on the basis of gender,” it added.
“It will be illegal for a man or a woman to call themselves a transgender person against their biological sex,” the court ruled and declared Section 2F of the Transgender Act un-Islamic.
The court also declared the rules made under the Transgender Act illegal, stating that the provisions declared anti-Shariah had no legal status.
A two-member bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice Syed Muhammad Anwar and Justice Khadim Hussain pronounced the verdict.
The court had reserved the verdict on May 11 last after the arguments of the parties in the case were completed.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), journalist Orya Maqbool Jan and others had filed petitions against the Transgender Act.
The court after pronouncing the verdict disposed of the pleas.
Meanwhile, two groups of transgender persons clashed with each other in Islamabad after the court verdict. One group of transgender persons hurled accusations at the other.
Reporter: Amanat Gishkori