ISLAMABAD: The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) heard a plea on Thursday over transgender people’s right to inherit property, The Asian Mirror reported.
The petitions concerning Trans people’s ability to inherit family property were heard by an FSC bench consisting of Chief Justice Mohammad Noor Meskanzai, Justice Dr. Syed Mohammad Anwar, and Justice Khadim Hussain M. Shaikh.
On behalf of transgender people, Nayyab Ali, a transgender activist and gender equality specialist submitted a written response to the court.
In his response, Nayyab Ali requested that the petitions be dismissed because “…the mechanism already present in the law and hearing of these petitions will be harmful.”
The petitions opposing the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, on the grounds that it violates Islamic injunctions.
In an earlier hearing, the court stated that it had become necessary to seek the AGP’s assistance because one section of society believed that the law had usurped the rights of trans people, while others claimed that the law violated religious injunctions.
The court did note, however, that as citizens of the country, transgender people had all of the rights enshrined in the constitution.
On May 8, 2018, the National Assembly passed the transgender person law, which provides legal recognition to transgender people while also prohibiting discrimination and harassment.
