Three bullet-ridden bodies of transgender individuals found in Karachi
Edhi Centre volunteers noted the victims had multiple gunshot wounds
KARCAHI, Sep 22, 2025 – In a chilling act of targeted violence, the bodies of three transgender individuals were discovered riddled with bullet holes in Karachi’s Memon Goth neighbourhood on Sunday, prompting swift condemnation from provincial authorities and renewed calls for justice amid a surge of hate crimes against the community.
Police and rescue officials confirmed the grim find, with a statement from the Edhi Information Centre noting that the victims had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Edhi ambulances were promptly dispatched to the scene to recover the bodies, which were later transported for further processing.
The Karachi Police Media Cell (KPMC) revealed that a specialised crime scene unit had been mobilised to scour the area for evidence. “Further investigation into the incident is underway,” the KPMC stated, as officers combed the site for clues in what appears to be a brazen execution-style killing.
However, bodies remained unidentified till filing of this report.
Police said transgender individuals used to stand near the place from where bodies were recovered.
Reacting decisively, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah issued immediate directives to the inspector-general of police, demanding the swift apprehension of the perpetrators. “The murderers of transgender persons should be arrested at all costs, and a report should be submitted to me,” the chief minister instructed in a notice from the CM House issued today.
In July, armed motorcyclists gunned down a transgender individual in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Malakand division. That same month, unidentified assailants shot dead another in Peshawar’s Tehkal area. Last year, two transgender persons were stabbed to death in Mardan by attackers who escaped, as reported by local police, leaving families and activists reeling from the unchecked brutality.
This tragedy underscores the perilous realities faced by transgender people in Pakistan, where social stigma often translates into deadly violence. A 2025 research report co-authored by the NGO Blue Veins and the National Commission on Human Rights highlighted pervasive challenges, including familial rejection, workplace discrimination, and physical assaults, which exacerbate marginalisation and leave many without recourse. The incident is part of a disturbing pattern of targeted killings.
Human rights advocates are urging comprehensive reforms, including better witness protection and anti-discrimination laws, to shield Pakistan’s transgender population from such escalating threats. As the investigation unfolds, the nation watches for accountability in the face of profound loss.
