Right in inheritance: Supreme Court directs DCOs to hunt for eunuchs' families

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the district administrations of the country to search the families of eunuchs to help them getting their due right in inheritance - movable and immovable property.
The court issued a set of directions for the betterment of eunuchs that include direction for the district co-ordination officers (DCO) to locate eunuchs' families, issuance of identity cards by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), insertion in the voters' list, free health facilities and steps for education or vocational training.
A three-member bench of the apex court, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, adjourned the matter for a date in office after one month. The court suggested the government to follow the Indian model wherein eunuchs were employed for recovery of loans/taxes.
Since 2006, the Indian government has employed eunuchs in the state of Bihar as tax collectors, singing loudly about the debt outside the defaulter's premises until they are shamed into paying up - one of the most effective tax recovery methods ever used in India. Earlier on November 4, the court stressed upon the government to bring eunuchs - the most deprived section of the society - in mainstream of life as ordinary citizens by protecting their fundamental rights.
The court observed that eunuchs should be given their due right in inheritance in movable and immovable property of their parents. "It is sorry to observe that eunuch families disown them," remarked the Chief Justice. Acting Attorney General Shah Khawar informed the court that a draft policy for eunuchs was prepared and, if needed, legislation would also be done. The issue had surfaced after police arrested some eunuch-transvestites by raiding merry-makers in Taxila.
Dr Mohammad Aslam Khaki, an Islamic jurist and human right activist, stood for their rights after he came to know that neither a single human right commission nor any non-governmental organisation (NGO) was working for genderless people in the country, and filed a petition seeking establishment of a commission to safeguard the rights of eunuchs.
Dr Khaki raised a serious question of law that such people were also denied of the right of inheritance and fundamental rights, as they could not openly travel in trains, buses or use facilities available to common citizens of the country. Earlier, the court was informed that population of eunuchs in Pakistan was approximately 80,000.