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KARACHI: The bodies of three transgender women were found Sunday on a roadside in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, police said, in the latest violence against the community.

Although exact figures are not available due to severe underreporting, human rights groups such as Amnesty International say there has been a concerning rise in violence against trans people in Pakistan.

“The bullet-riddled bodies of three transgender women were found on a highway,” city police official Javed Ahmed Abro told AFP.

“We are still in the process of confirming their identities,” he said, adding that they had yet to determine a motive.

The bodies were discovered shortly after midnight on Sunday in the Memon Goth area of Karachi.

“Transgender persons are a vulnerable segment of society, and we must all give them dignity and respect,” said Sindh’s provincial chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in a statement.

Transgender women in Pakistan have faced a highly organized digital hate campaign in recent years, threatening their legal rights as well as their safety.

“When hate speech and campaigns are carried out so openly, outcomes like this are inevitable,” Shahzadi Rai, a trans activist and government-appointed local councillor in Karachi, told AFP.

“Even though the state and police are on our side, killings are still occurring, which indicates that deep-rooted hatred against transgender people persists in our society.”

Activists say there is a pattern of violence against transgender women who refuse advances of men.

“We have already pointed it out to the government that this is a coordinated assault on the lives of transgender people,” Mehrub Moiz, a trans activist, told AFP.

The landmark passing of a Transgender Rights Act in 2018 was regarded as highly progressive, lauded around the world for the protections it granted the community.

But religious groups said it was against Islamic law and “a conspiracy to destroy our family system,” and key sections were later revoked by a Sharia court.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government has the capacity to generate an annual revenue of $30-40 billion via tourism through its diverse landscape and various offerings, the Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Tourism Sardar Yasir Ilyas said on Sunday. 

Pakistan is home to some of the tallest mountains in the world, picturesque valleys, historical monuments built by ancient civilizations and religious sites that attract thousands of tourists every year. 

However, surging militancy and poor infrastructure have hampered Islamabad’s attempts to tap into its tourism potential and generate revenue enough to boost its economy. 

In an exclusive interview with the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), Ilyas said Pakistan will host its first international “Tourism Road Expo” in November to showcase the country’s local attractions, traditional cuisine and cultural diversity. 

“Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Tourism, Sardar Yasir Ilyas has said that Pakistan, with its natural beauty, historic monuments, rare cultural heritage, ancient festivals, and diverse religious sites, is a paradise for travelers and has the capacity to generate $30–40 billion annually through tourism,” APP reported. 

He said the Tourism Road Expo will feature cooking competitions with international chefs, adding that similar expos were planned for London, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and ��������. 

Ilyas said tourism had long been neglected in Pakistan, especially after the 18th constitutional amendment, which granted autonomy to provinces on matters such as education, health, tourism and others. 

“To ensure national-level coordination, the government is reviving and restructuring the National Tourism Coordination Board,” APP said. 

Speaking about the government’s measures to attract investment, Ilyas revealed that “unused government properties” will be leased to local and foreign investors for 50–60 years. This would be done to establish modern tourist facilities. 

He said digital e-portals are being developed to provide tourists with details of destinations, hotel bookings, weather updates and travel guidance.

However, the official cautioned that deforestation and climate change are major threats to tourism. 

“Large-scale plantation drives and removal of encroachments along rivers and lakes are necessary to preserve our environment and protect tourism,” the official stressed. 

On religious tourism, Ilyas said Pakistan is committed to providing more facilities for Sikh pilgrims, while gurdwaras and Buddhist heritage sites will be restored and handed over to the respective communities for their care and upkeep.

He regretted that Pakistan had never marketed its tourism potential effectively, pointing out that Central Asian states such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan attract millions of visitors annually despite offering less diversity. 

“Pakistan, with its four seasons and greater geographical variety, has far more to offer,” he said.