(MENAFN- Tribal News Network)
A disturbing video of Dolphin Ayan Ali, a transgender individual from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, surfaced on social media earlier this week, exposing a deeply troubling harassment incident. The video shows an individual forcing Ayan at gunpoint to undress while filming her.
Despite the distressing content, Ayan Ali remains resolute, reminding her community that spreading such videos only deepens their collective trauma. "The more we share such videos, the more we harm ourselves. We should not circulate anyone's videos, especially not those from within our community," Ayan stated in a voice note to a transgender WhatsApp group, urging restraint.
This incident echoes a string of violence against the transgender community in Pakistan. Just days earlier, two transgender individuals were fatally stabbed in Mardan. According to Farzana Riaz, president of the Trans Action Alliance, violence and blackmail are all too familiar in the region, forcing dozens to flee to other provinces or abroad.
“This video is not new; it was made to blackmail Ayan for money. She has already paid substantial extortion fees to keep it hidden,” Riaz explained, adding that similar videos of other transgender persons in Peshawar circulate as leverage for extortion and coercion.
Riaz highlighted the absence of police action, citing that despite numerous FIRs, perpetrators continue to operate with impunity. "Not a single official has condemned these attacks, which signals the authorities' indifference," she said. Data from Trans Action Alliance reveals that between 2015 and November 2024, 145 transgender people have been murdered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, yet no convictions have been made.
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Public outcry has erupted on social media, with many demanding the arrest of those involved in Ayan's harassment. Dr. Mehrub Awan, a transgender activist with the Awami National Party, voiced solidarity with Ayan, saying, "We've done everything we can-media talks, podcasts, even books-but it's a deeply organized violence.” Citing years of documenting and raising awareness, Mehrub added,“Just a month ago, Ayan was protesting on the streets; this community's suffering is relentless. When will the genocide of transgender individuals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa end?”
Legal experts point out that, while an FIR can be filed, fear of reprisal often silences victims. In cases like Ayan's, charges could be filed under Section 354A (stripping with intent to insult) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation at gunpoint), punishable by life imprisonment or even death.
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