



With a hatred for corruption and steely determination to help the downtrodden, transgender community member Pervez Khan, known as Baby, has re-entered the fray of grass-root politics.





She is one of three candidates contesting two general councillor seats reserved for women in neighbourhood council Shumail City-1, Haripur. Although women form 52% of the population in Haripur, localised politics is very challenging for them. However, none of this deters Baby.“We are not just here to entertain the public at wedding ceremonies or help them celebrate the birth of a baby boy,” she says. “We are human beings, after all, and have goals and ambitions just like all other genders.”The election hopeful says she is determined to prove that transgender people are equally productive citizens who can take on the challenges faced by leaders.“We are ready to contribute our energies positively for the welfare of society,” she stresses, adding that social taboos attached to her community are key obstacles to overcome.Baby vows to continue with her struggle to achieve the goal of helping the helpless—whether she wins the election or not.Although some of her fellow community members are less confident about her chances against the two influential rival women candidates, Baby believes her tenure as a general councillor between 2001 and 2005 earned her a good reputation.“Funds were spent honestly during that time and I did not take any commission for development schemes; unlike most elected representatives.” Baby claims she has always abhorred corruption and has no family motivating her for personal gains.“My family and children are widows, orphans and helpless women. I have always used my income and energy to help my voters,” she adds.Born as Pervez Khan in 1971 to parents belonging to the Tanoli tribe in a remote village in Abbottabad district, Baby was formally identified as a member of the third gender. When she was seven, the transgender person was taken to Karachi by her maternal aunt, someone she still holds in high esteem.The aunt enrolled her in a boys’ school, but Baby had difficulty adjusting and dropped out. By the time she was 12, she started wearing clothes and behaving like a girl, something which was difficult for her family to accept.When her adopted family resisted her change in behaviour, Baby found herself back in Haripur after she ran away from Karachi. A local transgender adopted her as a disciple or chaila and taught her the arts of dance and song. Her family completely deserted her when they learned that Pervez Khan had taken on the identity of Baby.With an amazing ability to roll with the punches, Baby became a voice for her community and was highly respected during her previous tenure as a general councillor.Requesting a comb as her election symbol, Baby says she wants to set up skill development centres at the mohalla-level for the economic emancipation of women, especially widows, orphans and the jobless. She says the lack of opportunity to earn a respectable living leads many women, and even girls, to go astray.She has also expressed her commitment to helping women who are unable to meet dowry requirements in marrying their daughters. Baby says the replacement of rusty water supply lines and construction of a proper sewage system in her locality is high on the agenda as lack of sanitation is one of the chief causes of stomach problems. She adds that helping women engaged in litigation for family rights is one of her key objectives.As for the plans for her own community, Baby reveals she wants to help them make a respectable living that does not involve begging. She intends to train transgender people in the skills of sewing and embroidery.Baby believes linking poor women and members of her community to credit lending banks and organisations will give them better earning opportunities and this is another one of her objectives.About her own campaign and chances of success, she says women are her target voters and she will go door to door every afternoon in a bid to gather support. She claims her past is without a single stain of moral or financial corruption and this will boost her chances.Published in The Express Tribune, April 28, 2015.