Okara: When 46-year-old Rajab Ali, a transgender man, spent his life savings to build a mosque for his local community in the Okara district of Punjab province, Pakistan, he hoped it would foster goodwill and allow people to pray without gender discrimination. However, now that the mosque is complete, Ali faces harassment from neighbors for praying there because he is transgender, known in Pakistan as Khawaja Sira, a community currently under renewed attack.

According to Global Voices, the Transgender Persons Act passed by Pakistan's parliament in 2018 grants transgender people equal rights and access to public spaces, including places of worship. However, the law has faced conservative backlash, and in 2023, a federal court struck down certain provisions, claiming self-perceived gender identity contradicts Islamic principles. As a result, the transgender community in Pakistan now faces violent attacks, and some of their rights remain in a legal grey zone.

Ali began constructing the mosque in December 2022 but faced immediate pushback. He experienced theft of important mosque items and harassment from neighbors, who sent women to disturb him. Despite these challenges, Ali continued the project, completing the mosque in November 2025. However, he remains concerned about further harassment.

Some community members, like Bilal, refuse to pray in what they call a transgender mosque. In contrast, others like Javed Iqbal believe everyone should pray there and argue that those refusing should return Ali's savings so he can build a mosque where he is respected.

Ali is not the first to attempt building a trans-friendly mosque in Pakistan. In 2016, activists in Islamabad faced similar harassment when constructing a mosque, and Pakistan's first transgender Islamic school opened in 2021.

Pakistan's official transgender population figures remain uncertain, with the 2023 census recording 20,331 individuals. Education is another area where transgender people face exclusion, with a literacy rate of 40.15 percent compared to the national rate of 60 percent. Experts cite stigma and harassment as contributing factors.

Lahore High Court lawyer Muhammad Azam Chaudhary notes that while the 2018 Act provides significant rights, education and social acceptance are crucial for these protections to be effective. Ali, who lived as a woman and worked as a dancer for decades, experienced a spiritual awakening in 2021 and now presents as male, investing his savings to build the mosque.

Ali's critics argue that income from dancing should not fund a sacred space like a mosque. However, religious scholar Asif Riaz contends that being transgender is not sinful and questions the scrutiny Ali faces when mosques built with corrupt money are overlooked.

Transgender rights activist Zanaya Chaudhry highlights the scrutiny faced by the trans community, noting the challenges in earning a livelihood due to societal judgment. A 2026 study in Islamabad found 34 percent of Khawaja Sira participants unemployed, but national data on unemployment is lacking.

While the 2018 law aimed to end harassment at places of worship, a 2025 study by the University of Central Punjab and the University of Malaysia shows little has changed. Transgender people report exclusion and harassment at mosques and other holy sites.

Healthcare is another area of discrimination. Nayyab, a transgender person, recalls harassment in government hospitals and derogatory remarks from a doctor. Transgender people in Pakistan face discrimination in various aspects of life despite the country's progress on transgender rights.

Ali expresses a simple wish: that after his death, people will remember him and pray for him.