December 31, 2025
By Danial Aziz
PESHAWAR
Despite laws that are meant to protect transgender rights, ground realities paint an entirely different picture for the community. Violence is the most pervasive, but another of the biggest challenges they face is being denied their right to owning property and inheritance.
‘More than half of transgenders are denied property rights’
The situation for transgenders living in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa is deeply concerning, says Farzana Riaz, chairperson of the transgender community in KP.
“Around 75 out of every 100 trans-persons are not given their share of property, whether they work in this field or not,” she says. “Most transgenders are kept illiterate, and this weakness is exploited to obtain their signatures through deception.”
She tells Voicepk that transgenders are often asked to sign documents under the pretence that they are papers for gas or electricity connections, when in reality they are land and property documents.
“I know of several young people whose own families deceived them in this way. When they don’t receive their share of property, their future becomes bleak. In old age, they don’t even have a means to feed themselves.”
Riaz herself has been a victim of this bitter reality. “My family didn’t accept me either, which is why I also didn’t receive my share of the property.”
Forced into silence by fear for their lives
Zahra, a transwoman residing in Peshawar, says the issue isn’t just about property but also about the fear for one’s life. “My family has property – they own bungalows, shops, and other property, but like any other transgender, even I will not receive any share. And we don’t go to court against our fathers and brothers because our lives are at risk.”
According to her, most transgenders choose silence because of this fear and relinquish their rights.
“Who doesn’t wish to receive their due right, their inheritance?” she asks. “Unfortunately seeing all this is very depressing, but we can’t do anything about it.”
The pain of being cast out from home
According to transgender activist Bubbli, the problem extends beyond property.
“Our families don’t even accept us, let alone give us a share of the property. The males of the family espeically – fathers and brothers – plainly tell us never to come home again,” she says.
She says that trans-persons face severe discrimination not only in homes but also in hospitals and other public spaces. “In hospitals, we’re not treated as patients. People make a spectacle of us, we’re thrown out of wards. Where should we go?” Bubbli asked.
Where is the law?
According to Advocate Alam Khan Orakzai, the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018 contains clear provisions for protecting the inheritance rights of transgender people.
He explains that Section 7 outlines three scenarios for inheritance. A transgender person with predominantly male characteristics will receive an inheritance share equal to that of a male; One with predominantly female characteristics will receive a share equal to that of a female; If characteristics are not clear, a determination will be made after the person turns 18. If identification remains impossible after 18 years, they will receive half of the combined male and female shares.
“Our society is based on male dominance. Here, even women’s inheritance rights are being violated, so transgenders being given their rights is a separate issue altogether,” says Advocate Alam Khan. However he clarifies that although families expel transgenders from their homes, they must be reminded that legal recourse does exist and they can claim their rights through the courts.
Alarming statistics
According to government and social organizations, Pakistan has more than 500,000 transgender people, a large majority of whom lack access to education, don’t receive acceptance from their families, and are denied inheritance and property.
According to organizations working in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the majority become completely helpless in old age because they have neither property nor any source of steady income.
While laws exist regarding the inheritance rights of transgender people, social attitudes, family pressure, and fear for their lives have confined these laws to paper only. Experts say that until society ensures acceptance, the state ensures effective implementation, and legal support is guaranteed, property will remain merely a dream for transgender people.