First ever ‘Hijra Festival’ to be held on Nov 10 in Karachi

KARACHI, Nov 04: The transgender community of Pakistan has announced to organize a ‘Hijra Festival’ for the first time in the country’s history, which will be held on the 10th of this month at the Karachi Arts Council.

Among the objectives of this one-day ‘Hijra Festival’, according to its organizers, is to provide an opportunity to the transgender community to meet each other and celebrate a day of joy together, on the one hand and on the other is to draw the attention of the mainstream society towards the issues faced by the transgender community.

This official announcement was made by Hina Pathani, the head of the organizing committee of ‘Hijra Festival’, other members of the committee, Bebo Haider, Kami Sid, Advocate Nisha Rao and Dr. Sara Gill while addressing the press conference held at the Karachi Press Club on Saturday. The Chairperson of the Commission on the Status of Women in Sindh, Niuzhat Sheerin, social workers Chandi Shah and Zehra Khan were also present along with the organizing committee of the ‘Hijra Festival’.

It should be noted that Hina Pathani and Bebo Haider are known for their long struggle for transgender rights in Pakistan, while Kami Sid is Pakistan’s first transgender model, while Advocate Nisha Rao is Pakistan’s first transgender lawyer and Dr. Sara Gill is the first transgender doctor in the country.

Addressing the press conference, the leaders said that the ‘Hijra Festival’ is actually a part of the struggle to give the transgender community of Pakistan their rights and a dignified place in the society. “This festival will be a jubilee in the life of the most discriminated and inhumanely treated community in the country,” they said, adding that the ‘Hijra Festival’ will help to highlight the positive face of country at the global level as well.

Giving details about the festival, the leaders said that the historic festival will start with a rally, which will be taken out from Fawara Chowk Zainab Street (near Governor House) to Arts Council. The ‘Hijra Festival’ is expected to be attended by a large number of people from all walks of life, as well as people from the transgender community across the country. They said that regarding the organization of this festival, where different organizations working for the rights of transgender people and their members have worked day and night, civil society and different Personalities have also given full support. They announced that the Hijra Festival will be held every year in the coming years.

The leaders said that they are sure that the day will come soon when this festival will also have the status of an important day in the national life of Pakistan. “This festival will be the beginning of defeating the stereotypes about the transgender community,” they hoped.