Pakistan’s first transgender news anchor, Marvia Malik, recently survived a gun attack outside her residence in Lahore. According to Dawn, Malik was returning from a pharmacy when two gunmen opened indiscriminate fire. The incident took place on Thursday night and Malik luckily survived the attack.

In her statement to the police, the news anchor claimed that she had been receiving threatening phone calls and messages from unknown numbers for raising her voice for the transgender community. As per the outlet, the anchor stated that to ensure safety she has left her home for now and has shifted outside Lahore.

Malik revealed that she had returned to the city a few days back for surgery. She also claimed that her activism was a “major factor” behind the assassination attempt.

Notably, according to GeoTV, last year, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) said that the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018 is “not in line with the Shariah,” as “several of its provisions are inconsistent with Islamic principles”. The CII also warned that the Transgender Persons Act may lead to “new social problems”.

The council asked the government to form a committee to review the law related to the transgender community. It added that the committee should include CII members, religious scholars and legal and medical experts.

In 2018, Malik became Pakistan’s first transgender news anchor. In a previous interview with GeoTV, Malik deemed herself an example for everyone and not just the country’s transgender community.

Malik revealed that when she decided to make her mark in society, her family was not encouraging. However, she did not pay heed and pursued her dreams. The news anchor lamented that when transpersons are thrown out of their homes, they have no other option but to beg on the streets. But she also stated that her example gives the message of peace and raises awareness in the nation.