The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) has announced its verdict on pleas against the Transgender Persons Rights Act 2018, stating that no one can change their gender on the basis of their self-perceived identity, which means a person cannot change their gender at will.

Gender will remain the same as it is assigned at the time of birth.

Lawyer Asad Jamil wrote in a tweet,” FSC has accepted petitions challenging Transgender Persons Rights Act2018. Principle of self-perceived identity is declared unIslamic and cert defs in s.2 & 2020 Rules also declared unIslamic.”

Transgender people’s gender will be decided on physical factors rather than their emotions. Section 2F has been repealed by the court, and section 3 of the act has also been declared null and void.

Dr Mehrub Moiz Awan, while talking to The Current, expressed her disappointment with the verdict, “Federal Shariah Court has ignored all science, history, and humanity, to give a decision that looks like a copy paste out of a Western transphobic playbook.”

“Ironic that Pakistani Shariah is much closer to JK Rowling and Candace Owens now, then it is to the fatwas of Imam Khomeini and Shah Tantawi that affirmed transgender existence back in the 80s,” she added.