ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed secretaries of provincial Welfare Departments to ensure the issuance of computerised national identity cards (CNIC) to people of third gender and their enrolment in the voter lists.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain asked all provincial governments to take concrete steps for the welfare of people of third gender and observed that they could be involved in tax collection on the pattern of neighbouring India.

Appearing on notice, advocate general Balochistan informed the court that 107 people of third gender in 11 districts had been registered. He said the government had decided to provide free health services to people of third gender and a summary to this effect had already been sent to the chief minister.

He said that a community centre was also being established to provide entertainment opportunities for people of third gender at a cost of Rs 87 million. He added that Rs 30 million had already been received for the project while the rest was still being processed. He said that construction of the community centre would begin shortly.

The court while expressing dissatisfaction over the report submitted by Balochistan observed that no concrete steps had been taken towards the welfare of the neglected segment of society.

A representative of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa informed the court that inherited property had been transferred to some of the people of third gender in the province. Representatives of Sindh and Punjab also told the court about the steps being taken for the welfare of people of third gender in their respective provinces.

The Supreme Court during a recent hearing had directed the Election Commission to register people of third gender as voters to enable them to exercise their right to vote in the next elections.

The court also directed the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to expedite the procedure of issuing CNICs to people of third gender.

The petitioner and counsel for people of third gender, Dr Aslam Khaki, all provincial law officers and President She-male Foundation of Pakistan Almas Bobby appeared before the court. As per the instructions of the Supreme Court, NADRA has already started issuing computerised NICs to people of third gender.

NADRA centres across the country are carrying out registration of people of third gender, which is done without any medical proof on their given particulars and details.

The Sindh government had recently informed the court that a piece of land had been allocated to establish a separate colony for people of third gender. The court while appreciating the Sindh government’s action had asked other provinces to follow the same. The court had also directed provision of free health and education facilities to the people of third gender.

Source: Daily Times