PUBLISHED ONMarch 29, 2018 6:38 AMA Pakistani TV channel has put the country’s first transgender news anchor on the air, a watershed cultural moment for the marginalised community in the deeply conservative country.
Marvia Malik, a former model who appeared on the Lahore-based private broadcaster Kohenoor for the first time last Friday, told AFP she has received “unprecedented love and support” since landing the job.
“My family never accepted or owned me,” she said, adding that the rift drove her to seek a better future in Lahore, Pakistan’s cultural capital.
“Here I received unprecedented love and support from everyone that I never got from my own family,” she said, adding that the positive response only escalated once she went on air for the daily broadcast.
When “KhawajaSiras” Get To Stand Out
In a country where every headline feels like a prayer, the khawajaSiras – a colorful mix of transsexuals, transvestites and eunuchs – have been fighting for a little dignity for decades.
Three Milestones, One Bold Move
- 2009 – Pakistan proudly carved out a spot on the global map for a third sex.
- Last year – The very first transgender passport appeared in a small office in Rawalpindi.
- Recent‑past – A handful of them even took a seat at the ballot box, turning elections from a war‑zone to a neighborhood bake‑sale.
Behind the Parties: The Harsh Reality
And yet, daily life flies around the edge of a knife. They’re often forced into begging or prostitution, pressured to hand over money in a “pay‑ban” style extortion, or even asked to jump line by line of societal prejudice. Some nights, they’re target‑tied with threats that feel more like the worst nightmares than a friendly home‑visit.
Malik’s Voice – A Youthful Pulse
Malik, a brave soul still in her early twenties (exact age kept hush‑hush), told reporters she wanted her story to be a shout‑out for humanity:
“Every flick of a finger, every stand-up wait at the diner, it’s all humans in socks and mismatched insidewear. Let’s treat each other without the glass walls we keep around our minds.”
I’d say the message is lucid: It’s all about being human, together.
Malik speaks with copy editor Pervez Ahmad before reading the news on air.
Photo: AFP
A journalism graduate from Punjab University, she said she hopes eventually to enter politics herself or form a non-governmental organisation aimed at promoting gender rights.
If she becomes “financially sound”, she added, she may even seek to establish her own TV channel.
Many transgenders in Pakistan earn their living as dancers at weddings or parties and, sometimes, in more clandestine ways.
Her employers at Kohenoor admitted that Malik had stunned them while interviewing for the job by turning a question around on them.
“She asked, ‘Would you want to see me a beggar, a sex worker or dancing at the cultural festivals, or give me a respectable job in your channel?'” news director Bilal Ashraf told AFP.
“Her question stunned us really, and we had no reply.”
Malik’s Big News Launch – Turning the Spotlight on Inclusion
Before diving into his live broadcast, Malik spent a fair bit of time getting the studio ready to roll. “We’re about to go live,” he says, “but first we need to make sure the whole crew knows we’re all about inclusion.” The British press agency AFP snapped a candid photo of him in action.
Why It’s a Game Changer
His tone? Straightforward but warm. “We’ve got to build a policy that lets anyone, whether they’re straight or gay or…well, you get the idea, feel welcome in our channel,” he tells the camera. He adds a wink, “The ratings? Nah, we’re not doing that for a spot on the charts. We’re here to bring people together.”
Instant Reaction: A Social Media Blitz
- With the announcement, a flood of tweets, Instagram stories, and Facebook posts from Pakistanis praising the move.
- Many are comparing the channel to a safe haven where “every voice matters.”
- Social media’s golden hapticity – the YouTube crowd wonders if the channel will become a meme goldmine, but for good reasons.
Gloomys Under the Surface
Unfortunately, the progress hasn’t paved away all the bad vibes in the region. In the northwestern city of Peshawar, a tragic incident shattered the optimism. On a bleak Tuesday evening, a transgender individual, along with a friend, was shot dead – the police confirmed this to AFP.
Alpha From the Allies
Farzana Riaz, the spearhead of TransAction, puts the human toll into a stark figure: 55 transgenders have lost their lives in just half a decade. “I’m here because we need protective legislation from the government to stop this vicious cycle,” she says, stressing the dire urgency of governmental intervention.
While Malik’s channel is stepping up the banner of inclusivity, the violence remains a looming cloud over the brighter horizon. Public applause will be combined with real-world activism for lasting protection.
