Eunuchs leader thanks chief justice

[Naveed Yaseen]

Obaid Abrar Khan
All Pakistan Eunuchs Association President Bobby has said that they were grateful to Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry for ordering social welfare secretaries of all four provinces to conduct a survey to document the record of eunuchs and carry out their registration.

Talking to ‘The News’ here on Wednesday, Bobby said that it was a historic order for the community, which remained neglected in this part of the world. “We are grateful to Advocate Dr. Muhammad Aslam Khaki for raising voice in our favour and filing a case for us in the Supreme Court of Pakistan,” Bobby added.

Bobby was of the view that eunuchs were the most deprived segment of society. “We don’t have any status in society. We are not provided proper medical treatment in any hospital. We don’t have a right to get education in any academic institution. We don’t have a right to cast votes in the general elections.”

According to Bobby, there were around 400,000 to 500,000 eunuchs in Pakistan and about 90 per cent of them don’t have computerised national identity cards (CNICs). Bobby went on to say that the main reason behind not having CNICs was that their parents don’t make their birth certificates, as they don’t accept them as their children. “Later, it becomes difficult for people like us to get CNICs.”

Bobby said that they could not buy property, as they do not have CNICs. “We are not given our share in inheritance as our parents disown us.”

Bobby said that dancing is the main source of earning bread and butter for eunuchs. “Dancing is the only profession for eunuchs because the government has not allocated any specific quota for them anywhere. All eunuchs are deprived of their basic rights. We cannot get proper education and medical treatment because people make fun of us,” Bobby said in a grim tone.

Bobby urged the government to provide eunuchs all their basic rights and they should be given their due status in society.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=183666