Pakistan’s first transgender news anchor attacked by gunmen in Lahore, escapes death

Pakistan’s first transgender news anchor Marvia Malik survived after she was shot at by unidentified assailants outside her residence on Friday, local media reported.

The gunmen opened fire on Malik, 26, when she was returning home from a pharmacy in Lahore, Pakistan. Malik told police that she had been receiving threatening calls for some time for raising her voice for the transgender community in Pakistan. She cited her “activism” as the reason behind the attack, reported The Independent.

Malik said she left Lahore out of fear for her life and relocated to Islamabad and Multan. She had returned to Lahore a few days back for a surgery, reported Pakistani media outlet, The Dawn. Malik made history by becoming the first transgender person to become a news anchor in 2018 after being “disowned” by her family.

She made her debut appearance on Pakistan’s Kohenoor TV just days after becoming the first transgender model at a prominent fashion show held annually by the Pakistan Fashion Design Council, according to reports. When she made headlines in 2018 after becoming the country’s first transgender television host at the age of 21, she received an “overwhelming” positive response from the people.

“I got a lot of appreciation from those associated with the fashion industry when I did catwalk modelling two weeks back, and now this… it’s quite overwhelming,” she was quoted by Reuters as saying at the time. “I was thrown out after [10th grade] after which I joined a beauty salon, earned just about enough to put myself through college, but it was not easy. My story is no different from that of a hijra on the street you see begging,” she had told Reuters.

In several interviews, she said that she is an example for everyone, including her own community. If transpersons can make a place for themselves in the fashion or media industries, then they are important in other fields as well.