Shariat Court orders setting up child protection centre for trans children

• FSC chief directs setting up a monitoring body to supervise process.
  
• Court expresses concern over transgender children who are abandoned by their families.
• Ministry of Human Rights also directed to submit progress report  

The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) Thursday ordered the Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) to establish a Child Protection Centre to deal with the exclusive needs of transgender children.

A two-member bench of the FSC, headed by Chief Justice Dr Syed Muhammad Anwer, issued the order while hearing petitions challenging the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018.

At the outset of today’s hearing, FSC Chief Justice Muhammad Anwer also ordered the establishment of a monitoring committee to supervise the process.

The committee will be comprised of National Commission for Human Rights Chairperson Rabiya Javeri Agha, Sweet Homes Chairperson Zamurd Khan and representatives of Akhwat Foundation and the transgender community, according to a statement issued by National Commission for Human Rights.

The court also directed the MoHR to submit the progress report on both these directives to the court.

During the course of proceedings, the NCHR Chairperson apprised the court about the existing child protection mechanism. She told the court that a Child Protection Centre already exists in the capital.

The court expressed concern over the fact that in most cases, these children are abandoned by their families and fall prey to paedophiles and other predators.

Chairperson National Commission for Human Rights Rabiya Javeri Agha, Chairperson Sweet Homes Zamurd Khan and a representative of Akhwat Foundation participated in the court proceedings as amicus curiae.