KARACHI: A transgender person, who was one of the organisers of the ‘People’s Climate March’ that took place in Karachi, was allegedly tortured and sexually assaulted by unidentified persons a day before the march, the Karachi Bachao Tehreek (KBT) alleged.
The march was held in the city on December 12 under the banner of Karachi Bachao Tehreek (KBT). The alleged incident was disclosed by the KBT via a tweet, detailing that one of the members of the People’s Climate March organising committee was allegedly picked up and subjected to torture and rape on the night of Dec 11.
for information regarding the march’s programme and its speeches.
Our march centered the demands of working class people in Karachi who have been impacted by eco-fascist and extractive ‘development’ projects.
— Karachi Bachao Tehreek (@StopEvictionKHI) December 13, 2021
“The night before our protest, we held an organising meeting. One of our organisers, a trans woman, was abducted on her way home. She was tortured and raped to extract information regarding the march’s programme and its speeches,” the KBT said.
According to KBT, the participants at “the march included many other groups, such as indigenous communities, people who have been dispossessed of their homes due to “green” planning agendas, among many other “victims of climate injustice in Karachi”.
“It is worth noting that this police violence was disproportionately directed towards a trans woman – that sexual violence was weaponized against one of the most vulnerable members of the organising team, so that information about the march and its program could be extorted from her,” the tweet read.
The KBT said the recent incident laid bare the “intersections between climate injustice, police brutality, and gendered violence”. The tweet also pointed to the heavy-handed response by the Karachi police on the day of the march which was “blockaded and surrounded on all sides by police vans”.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and ordered the inspector general of police to conduct an inquiry into the case and submit a report to him, according to a tweet from his office.
Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah has taken notice of the incident and has directed IG Police to conduct inquiry and report him.
— CMHouseSindh (@SindhCMHouse) December 13, 2021
The Ministry of Human Rights also took notice of the incident, saying its transgender rights expert was in contact with the victim’s guardian.
“Our Transgender Rights Expert, Reem, has been in touch with the relevant people including the victim’s guardian and our ministry will be contacting Sindh government to ensure her protection,” the ministry said in a tweet.
Our Transgender Rights Expert, Reem, has been in touch with the relevant people including the victim’s guardian and our Ministry will be contacting Sindh Government to ensure her protection. https://t.co/hl9RnQKCeC
— Ministry of Human Rights (@mohrpakistan) December 13, 2021
Dozens of participants of the People’s Climate March had taken out a rally near Karachi’s Boat Basin on Sunday evening to draw the authorities’ attention towards the adverse impacts of climate change, particularly the perceived environmental disaster unfolding in Malir and adjoining areas.
Activists belonging to around 10 political parties and civil society organisations had arrived near Clifton beach and tried to march towards Bilawal House but police officials prevented them from moving further, according to organisers and witnesses.
