ISLAMABAD: The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has hired Muhammad Zahid alias Nomi, a transgender person, on a contingent basis equivalent to SPS-04 in its headquarter in Islamabad.
According to a notification issued by the BISP, this it the first time a transgender person has been given a job in the federal government. Nomi, who belongs to Faisalabad and is currently living in Bari Imam was hired as a cook and is serving at the BISP’s cafeteria. Her passion for cooking, trying new dishes and serving them in different style has helped her achieve all she wished for.
Furthermore, it was reported that Nomi is glad to have landed a government job on a merit basis and will now “be able to earn money with full respect and dignity”. Moreover, Nomi said that this is a proud moment for her as a transgender and the community as a whole, as people will now refrain from “degrading her by calling her names” including her relatives and neighbours.
Following this, BISP is now looking forward to hiring more transgender persons and the BISP is currently carrying out a survey on the transgender community, and once it was completed, the poor and needy would be given cash grants.
“Hopefully by the end of this year we will also announce more jobs for highly-qualified transgender persons who deserve higher positions,” a BISP official was reported as saying.
Moreover, the official added that the government should take an initiative of setting job quota for transgender in government jobs.
The BISP has warned that anyone found guilty of harassing Nomi would be terminated.
