KP eunuchs become victims of cyber-harassment.

PESHAWAR: Transgender women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province have long been subjected to violence, now they are facing another disturbing form of cyber-harassment.

Transgenders being a vulnerable community have faced many incidents of harassment where sexually explicit videos of assaults circulate online. According to Arzoo Khan, president of the Trans Action Alliance, 60 cases of sexual violence were reported in 2024 alone.

The community is already reeling from a series of physical attacks that, according to the police, have led to the deaths of over 140 transgender people in KP since 2015 and injured nearly 1,500 others in shootings, abductions and physical assaults. .

Due to legal loopholes and the ineffectiveness of prosecutions, very few criminals have been deterred from potential convictions. A culture of impunity is almost in place where criminals are encouraged to commit such heinous crimes.

Regarding the issue of cyber harassment, Peshawar city authorities took notice of the matter when a police report was lodged under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).

It included a viral video of transgender activist Dolphin Ayan, who was partially undressed and in great humiliation and pain for her and her family. The cyber crime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency has started investigating the case.

In a separate rape case in Swabi, two transgender women were allegedly raped and filmed. Police sources claim that FIRs are registered in 90 per cent of transgender murders and suspects are usually arrested. However, local settlements, lack of legal follow-up, and witness harassment often lead to acquittals.

A failed state recognizes the need for an agency that can ensure protection and necessary support to the transgender community to protect them from violence and harassment. It is also important that the authorities actually plan more broadly to ensure that justice is seen and done.