Gunmen kill three transgender women on Karachi outskirts; authorities investigating

Gunmen shot and killed three transgender women on the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, Sunday, authorities said. The bodies were found along a roadside, with all three victims killed at close range, police said Monday as investigators pressed to identify and arrest the attackers. A senior official said the motive remained unclear and a manhunt was underway.

Sindh Province Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah condemned the killings and ordered a probe, telling reporters that transgender people are an oppressed section of society and vowing that those behind the attack would be arrested. The Associated Press reported that the bodies were taken to a local hospital for autopsy and that police were seeking leads to identify the suspects.

Members of the transgender community staged a protest Sunday outside Karachi’s state-run Jinnah Hospital, where the bodies were transported for autopsy. They warned of nationwide demonstrations if those responsible were not brought to justice. Transgender rights activist Bindiya Rana told the AP that violence against the community “is not new and it is deeply embedded in our society.” She added that if police fail to identify the killers, they would consider a countrywide protest.

The Gender Interactive Alliance, a local rights group, identified the victims as Karachi residents who earned their livelihood by begging. The group also pointed to a separate knife attack two days earlier that left another transgender woman critically wounded at Karachi’s Sea View Beach. The alliance described the pair of back-to-back tragedies as evidence that the community is being systematically targeted and called for immediate arrests, a dedicated protection unit for transgender people, and greater solidarity from civil society.

Transgender people in Pakistan, a Muslim-majority nation, often face abuse and discrimination. They are among those affected by so-called honor killings carried out by relatives to punish perceived sexual transgressions. Pakistan’s Supreme Court has recognized transgender people as a third gender, which in theory affords legal protection, but discrimination persists. Parliament passed a 2018 law to secure fundamental rights for transgender individuals, including legal gender recognition, yet activists say social stigma and violence remain widespread.

Authorities stress the importance of a thorough investigation to determine the motive and to hold perpetrators accountable. Community advocates underscore the need for protections and access to justice as Pakistani officials navigate ongoing concerns about violence against transgender people and calls for broader social change.