Third-gender passport issued to transgender

peshawar — Pakistan has issued its first third-gender passport to a transgender activist, who hailed the move as a step forward for the marginalised community in the country.

Farzana Riaz, a transgender in northwestern Peshawar city, said the new passport would help her campaign globally on behalf of her community, who are also known as khawajasiras .

“I have received my passport which mentions my gender as X and not as a male or female,” Farzana said on Saturday.

“Earlier I had a passport which had described my gender as a male. But this time I told the authorities that I won’t accept my passport if it doesn’t identify me as a transgender,” the 30-yearold co-founder and president of rights organisation TransAction said. — AFP