Meet Reem Sharif, Pakistan’s first trans police officer

KARACHI: Pakistan’s first trans police officer Reem Sharif has helped protect 16 trans people in Punjab since the two months she’s been working as a trans victim support officer, reported the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Thank you @dawn_com for sharing my struggles with the world. Thankful to @ahsanpsp for providing me this opportunity and in gratitude being the part of such efficient policing of Punjab region.@OfficialDPRPP @IGPpunjab @RwpPolice @beenshfatima https://t.co/v92ur0EEdE

— Reem Sharif (@ReemSharif3) July 16, 2020

According to the foundation, the 2017 census states that Pakistan has 10,418 trans people: however, charities working for trans rights put the figure closer to 500,000.

Read: Pakistan just held it’s first Transgender Pride march

The Trans community of Pakistan is slowly making legal gains, but are largely still discriminated against, making it hard for them to find jobs, education and healthcare. Many are still shunned by their families and ostracised by society.

Reem works at the Tahafuz centre, which is a pilot project of the Rawalpindi police formed to protect transgender people. It became functional on may 12.