In the heart of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), a tragic incident has once again shaken the transgender community to its core. On the night of July 8, a transgender woman named Taj Muhammad, known as ‘Asady,’ was brutally murdered in her apartment in Peshawar’s Tehkal area. Asady, a vibrant individual of around 32-33 years, was shot multiple times in the upper body and head. The pain and sorrow of losing someone in such a violent manner resonate deeply within her community.
Asady’s death is not just another statistic; it is a human life cut short, a soul extinguished by senseless violence. Her family, in the face of unbearable grief, is left to navigate the agony of loss, while the community she once thrived in is left wondering why the violence never ceases. The police registered an FIR on the same day, with Asady’s brother, Bahadur Khan, stepping forward as the complainant. As investigators dig into the case, law enforcement officials have promised updates, and forensic evidence, including CCTV footage, is being scrutinized in hopes of finding justice.
Arzoo Khan, the Executive Director of the Manzil Foundation and the Provincial President for Transgenders in KP, shared her heartfelt condolences and outrage. “We highly condemn the killings of individuals in KP from the transgender community,” she said, as she confirmed that Asady’s body was handed over to her family after the post-mortem. Yet, despite the ongoing investigation, the motive behind the crime remains unclear, adding to the endless uncertainty and fear that hangs over the transgender community in the region.
This senseless murder is not an isolated incident. It is a tragic part of a relentless trend that shows no signs of stopping. Already, eight transgender individuals have been killed in KP in 2025 alone. Since 2009, the death toll has risen to 158, and over 1,800 cases of violence against transgender people have been reported. These are not just numbers; they represent lives — individuals who, like everyone else, deserve dignity, respect, and protection. Each murder is a painful reminder of the perilous existence transgender persons continue to endure, living in fear, constantly on edge.
Just a week before Asady’s murder, another transgender woman, ‘Titli,’ was killed in Peshawar’s Gulbahar area. While the police hastily claimed to have solved the case, Arzoo Khan refuted these claims, pointing out the discrepancies in the investigation and the arrests. “Police did not arrest the main suspects,” she said. “They are just trying to present a good image by arresting the friends and family of the accused.” The police’s handling of these cases only deepens the mistrust within the transgender community, who feel that justice for them is constantly delayed, if not denied.
Violence against transgender individuals has become an all-too-familiar story. In May, Shahab alias ‘Wafa’ was shot in the head and killed in Dargai, Malakand, while returning from a wedding. In June, ‘Zaibi’ was killed during a wedding event in Abbottabad, and the violence did not stop there. These killings are not isolated incidents; they are part of a growing epidemic of hate and intolerance directed at a community that is already marginalized and voiceless in many ways.
The transgender community in KP faces a double-edged sword. On one side, they face social rejection, limited access to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. On the other hand, they endure physical violence and death, merely for existing. They are treated as outcasts, pushed to the fringes of society, and forced to live in constant fear. As the state fails to protect them, their cries for help grow louder, demanding not just justice, but safety — a basic human right that everyone deserves.
As investigations into Asady’s murder continue, the urgency for change becomes even more evident. The transgender community cannot continue to live in fear, nor can the state turn a blind eye to their plight. The time for action is now. Activists like Arzoo Khan continue to call for concrete steps from the authorities to ensure justice, safety, and equal rights for the transgender community in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Their voices echo the demand for a society where no one is hunted down, no one is silenced, and no one is left to die simply for being who they are. The transgender community deserves to live — and to live without fear.