Under the law, a 0.5 per cent quota was reserved for transgender persons in government jobs up to Grade 15
KARACHI:
In Sindh, nearly four years after the announcement of a government job quota for transgender persons, the policy has still not been implemented. The main obstacle is a legal requirement that mandates a physical medical examination to verify gender identity.
The transgender community has described this condition as discriminatory and degrading, while the provincial government maintains that legal requirements must be fulfilled to implement the job quota.
The Sindh Assembly passed the Sindh Civil Servants Amendment Bill in July 2022, under which a 0.5 per cent quota was reserved for transgender persons in government jobs up to Grade 15. However, it also made a medical examination by a standing medical board mandatory for gender verification.
Under the law, the medical board certifies a person’s gender after examination, and the certificate must be submitted to the relevant government department when applying for jobs.
According to Karachi-based trans activist and Operations Manager of Gender Interactive Alliance, Zehrish Khanzadi, the requirement of a physical examination is discriminatory.
“Are male or female applicants asked to prove their gender through such certification for government jobs? If not, why is this condition imposed on transgender persons. For a long time, transgender people were not even issued identity cards. Although that issue has been resolved and legal recognition has been granted, challenges within government institutions persist,” noted Khanzadi.
On the other hand, Sindh Human Rights Commission member and provincial government spokesperson Sukhdev Hemnani explained that the medical examination requirement was introduced to ensure transparency in the hiring process and confirm genuine applicants.
“The Sindh government has already begun implementing the law, and recently the Excise and Taxation Department included the transgender quota in its job advertisement for the first time. However, only those applicants who hold a medical certificate from the relevant board will be eligible,” noted Hemnani.
Trans activists have also raised concerns about the quota itself, calling the 0.5 per cent allocation too low. Khanzadi believed that under such a percentage, even in 100 vacancies, transgender persons may not effectively benefit, as 0.5 per cent of 100 equals less than one post. “Punjab has a 2 per cent quota and Sindh should also increase its allocation,” urged Khanzadi.
In response, the provincial spokesperson noted that the quota has been set according to population size and cannot be increased at this stage. “In such cases the quota could be applied to the total number of vacancies across departments, and the government could also consider increasing overall job openings,” said the official.
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Vice Chairperson Qazi Khizar also supported the transgender community’s stance and urged the Sindh government to remove the discriminatory medical examination requirement from the law. “Just as representation has been given in local government bodies, at least a one per cent job quota should also be ensured,” opined Khizar.
Meanwhile, there are conflicting figures regarding the transgender population in Sindh. According to the 2023 digital census, the total number of transgender persons in the province is 4,222, while a 2017 survey by the National AIDS Control Program estimated 9,123 transgender persons in Karachi alone.
However, Zehrish Khanzadi estimates that the unofficial population of the transgender community in Sindh is around 55,000, with more than 18,000 in Karachi alone.
