NADRA repeals gender reassignment rule

National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has eliminated Rule 13-1 for gender reassignment.

On Tuesday, a two-member bench of the Federal Sharia Court headed by Acting Chief Justice Syed Muhammad Anwar heard the petitions against the Transgender Act 2018.

The petition was filed by Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan and others.

The court was informed that Rule 13-1 has been suspended for one month as a result of the chairman NADRA’s approval and that the board’s consent would also be sought within a month.

The attorney for Senator Mushtaq said that the question of whether someone can choose their own sex had to be viewed in both a legal and religious context.

He said that the word transgender appears in the act, but its exact definition needs to be made clear.

They also stated that while the Holy Quran and Sunnah forbade one from choosing their own gender.

The attorney went on to say that even international law forbade anyone from choosing their own gender.

In his testimony to the court, Senator Mushtaq stated that he had previously submitted an amendment to the Transgender Act and that he has since introduced a new measure in the Senate, which has been forwarded to the committee for assessment.

The court requested a copy of the revised bill in response to the arguments.

Additionally, the transgender community’s Nadeem Gaqar and Shahana Abbas asked the court to add the word “khansa” to the bill.

They stated that because their identity cards listed their gender as “X”, and they were unable to go to any Arab country as a result.