13 transgenders will contest 2018 Pakistan general elections
Islamabad, May 24: At least 13 transgenders will contest the Pakistan general elections this year. Two of them will contest for the National Assembly and the rest for the provincial assemblies.
This was officially announced on Wednesday at a national consultation organised by All Pakistan Transgender Election Network (APTEN) in collaboration with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), The Express Tribune reported on Thursday.
The national consultation was attended by all the potential candidates and representatives from their assigned constituencies where they highlighted their demands and importance of political inclusion and empowerment of transgender persons in Pakistan.
While sharing names of some of the potential candidates, APTEN said it includes Farzana Riaz (NA-33), Arzu Khan (PK-33), Lubna (PP-26), Komal (PP-38), Madam Bhutto (PP-189), Nayab (NA-142), Nadeem Kasish (Candidate for National Assembly), Ashee (Candidate from Punjab) and others.
The objective of this consultation was to bring all the candidates and other stakeholders at discussion table where they could share their concerns and way forward.
The major concern of the candidates was regarding their identity documents such as CNIC among others. Some of them have CNIC in which they are mentioned as male in gender section but by appearance, they look like women.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Qamar Naseem, member of the Chief Minister's Special Community on Rights of the Transgender Persons (K-P) and member of the National Task Force said the ECP Act 2017 under Article 48 A and B transgender community are included in the vulnerable community which means that they shall not be required to stand in queue and will be given priority of right to vote.
Naseem further said that last time four transgenders contested the general election but they could not do it in proper order.
However, this year the community has constituted APTEN which will provide them a platform from where they will contest the election in an organised manner.
Meanwhile speaking at the occasion Additional Director General (Gender Affairs) Nighat Siddique said, "In the upcoming electoral process ECP will ensure a friendly and inclusive system for the transgender community not only as voters but also as candidates."
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T20 WC star Samson named ICC Men's Player of the Month for March
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Dubai (PTI): India opener Sanju Samson was on Tuesday named ICC Men's Player of the Month for March, capping a stellar run that saw him play a defining role in the team's triumphant T20 World Cup campaign.
Samson did not get to play in the early part of the tournament but was the standout performer in the big games towards the end and helped India retain the title.
His latest honour also extends a unique streak, with players from different countries winning the award over the past five months including South Africa's Simon Harmer, Australia's Mitchell Starc, New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell and Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan.
"Winning the ICC Player of the Month award is an incredible feeling, especially as it comes during what has been the most unforgettable phase of my cricketing journey. Playing a part in India's triumph at the Men's T20 World Cup was truly a dream realised, and it took some time for the magnitude of that moment to fully sink in," Samson said.
"This is an exciting era for Indian cricket, with immense talent across the board. I feel grateful for the opportunities I've received, and for the trust and support from my team-mates and coaching staff that have allowed me to perform at my best."
Not a regular part of the playing XI in the initial stages of the tournament, Samson was eventually called up for India's must-win Super 8 fixtures. After starting off with 24 against Zimbabwe, he picked form and didn't look back.
The opener missed out on a century against the West Indies by just three runs, but his attacking 97 not out set up India's spot in the semifinal.
A blistering 89 against England at the Wankhede helped India to 253 for 7, and the target proved elusive for the English who missed out by seven runs on March 5.
An equally amazing 89 was churned out during India's successful title defence in Ahmedabad, securing a 96-run win.
In the three crucial T20Is he was a part of in March, Samson notched up 275 runs at an astonishing average of 137.50 and a stunning strike rate of 199.27.
This is the first time that Samson has secured an ICC Men's Player of the Month honour.
New Zealand captain Melie Kerr won the women's honour for the third time, after an outstanding series against Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Taking over the white-ball teams from Sophie Devine, Kerr's captaincy seemed to have brought out the best in her with both the ball and the bat. In the Zimbabwe ODI series, she managed to snap 16 wickets in just three matches, including her career-best figures of 7/34.
Additionally, she also contributed with the bat, being the third highest run-scorer in the ODIs, scoring 140 runs across three games with an average of 46.67 in the counting month.
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