Transgender activists to appeal Shariah court ruling against protection law in Pakistan.

Pakistani transgender activists plan to appeal to the Supreme Court after the Federal Shariah Court struck down several provisions of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, terming them "un-Islamic." The law was passed in 2018 to secure the fundamental rights of transgender Pakistanis, including legal gender recognition. The Shariah court ruled that a person cannot change their gender on the basis of "innermost feeling" or "self-perceived identity" and must conform to the biological sex assigned to them at birth. The decision has been criticized by human rights groups and the transgender community, who fear further marginalization and abuse.