Pakistan’s First Transgender News Anchor Shot by Assailants; Survives The Attack

Pakistan’s first transgender news anchor Marvia Malik narrowly escaped death when she was shot by unidentified assailants outside her residence. 

Marvia was returning home from a Pharma in Lahore when she was attacked. 

She received many threatening calls as she supported the rights of the transgender community in Pakistan. 

Marvia believes that her “activism” is the reason behind the attack. 

Malik made history by becoming the first transgender person to become a news anchor in 2018. She was only 21 then. 

“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.”

She had previously walked the ramp for the Pakistan Fashion Design Council fashion week in Lahore. 

Fearing her life Marvia relocated to Islamabad. She had returned to Lahore for a surgery a few days back according to Pakistani Media Outlet ‘Dawn.’ 

In her earlier interviews Marvia said that she is an example for every community. 

If transpersons can make a place for themselves in the fashion or media industries, then they are important in other fields as well, she explained.