Punjab police detained dozens of transgender individuals in Lahore after a private gathering was accused of promoting obscenity. The arrests came after videos of the event spread widely on social media.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the Punjab government ordered action once the videos went viral. Fashion designer Maria B had first shared the footage online, calling for strict measures against those seen in the clips.
The FIR, registered on August 1, alleged that the event involved explicit content. Around 60 people were charged under different sections of the Pakistan Penal Code related to obscenity, as well as the Sound System Act. The case was filed at Naseerabad police station.
Meanwhile, Lahore police also stopped the screening of the banned film Joyland, which features a transgender love story. The movie was scheduled to be shown privately in the city nearly two years after being banned in Punjab cinemas.
In response, transgender rights activist Nayyab Ali denied any link between the arrested individuals and the transgender rights movement. She criticized Maria B for amplifying the video, saying, “If it was vulgar, who made it public? Maria B did — and that itself is a crime.”
