peshawar      -      An exclusive protection center for old age and below 18 years age persons from transgender community has been set up in peshawar for providing them with shelter and food free of cost.

“The protection shelter has been set up by the social welfare Department of Khyber pakhtunkhwa in pursuance of the directives of Federal shariat Court issued on December 12, 2022,” informs Noor Muhammad District Officer Social Welfare Department. Talking with app, Noor Muhammad apprised that the Federal shariat Court during the hearing of a petition filed by a member of the transgender community had directed for establishment of exclusive protection centres at provincial levels for intersex children who are abandoned by their families and old age persons of the same community who face a lot of difficulties in finding any source of livelihood for survival.

The exclusive protection has been established at a panah Gah (shelter home) on pajaggi road where selected transgenders would be provided stay, and food free of cost, Noor told app.

This centre initially comprised two rooms with a staying capacity of five beds in each room, Noor continued. president of Transaction (provincial alliance for Transgender Community), Farzana riaz was the chief guest on the occasion who inaugurated the protection centre. The social welfare Department has requested Farzana to identify the most deserving transgenders for availing of the facility. all those recommended by president Transaction, Farzana riaz would be provided shelter and free food facilities, Noor added. Apart from it, District Officer Social Welfare Department continued, an offer is also being made to the transgender community regarding psychological counselling of children and old age persons.