Federally Administered Tribal Areas is governed by federal Pakistan law. Learn more
    Homosexuality
    ⚢
    ✖ Illegal (up to life in prison as punishment)
    Gay Marriage
    ⚭
    ✖ Unrecognized
    Censorship
    ✖ Imprisonment as punishment
    Changing Gender
    ✔ Legal, no restrictions
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✔ Legal
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✔ Recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ Illegal in some contexts
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ Gender identity only
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ Gender identity only
    Adoption
    ✖ Illegal
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    ✖ Not banned
    Military
    ✖ Illegal
    Donating Blood
    ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    N/A
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Public Opinion

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History

Homosexual activity in Federally Administered Tribal Areas

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Homosexual activity in Federally Administered Tribal Areas is illegal (up to life in prison as punishment).

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1862
Illegal (up to life in prison as punishment)
Homosexuality is illegal in Pakistan under Article 377 in Pakistan’s Penal Code of 1860. The punishment for violation of Article 377 is two years to life imprisonment, fines, or both.

The Zina provisions of the Hudood Ordinance (1979), criminalize all sexual conduct outside of marriage with the death penalty. However, there are no known cases of these provisions being used against gay people.

In addition, the enforcement of sentences against homosexuals is unenforced since 1985
Details
Sources:
www.humandignitytrust.org/c…
Pakistan Penal Code of 1860
pakistani.org/pakistan/legi…
U.S. Department of State Report on Pakistan Which Includes That The Zina Provisions Have Never Been Used Against Homosexuals
www.state.gov/reports/2021-…
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Same-sex marriage in Federally Administered Tribal Areas

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Same-sex marriage in Federally Administered Tribal Areas is unrecognized.

Current status
Since Oct 7, 1958
Unrecognized
Technically, there are no law that prohibits cohabitation or marriage of a same-sex couple. However, if they are convicted of sodomy, the party face penalties according to the penal law.
Details
Sources:
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_a…
www.vakilno1.com/saarclaw/p…

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Censorship of LGBT issues in Federally Administered Tribal Areas

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Censorship of LGBT issues in Federally Administered Tribal Areas is imprisonment as punishment.

Current status
Since Aug 11, 2016
Imprisonment as punishment
Section 34 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (2016) empowers the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to remove or block content if deemed necessary for the "glory of Islam, public order, decency, or morality." However, prior to this law, the government had already been censoring LGB-related content online and in the media. Punishment for spreading this type of content, looking at it, if you gain access to banned content, etc, is 3 or more months in jail.
Details
Sources:
database.ilga.org/api/downl…
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Right to change legal gender in Federally Administered Tribal Areas

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Right to change legal gender in Federally Administered Tribal Areas is legal, no restrictions.

Current status
Since Dec 13, 2023
Legal, no restrictions
Pakistan allows trans people to self-identify and receive identity documents with their preferred name and gender under Chapter 2 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018.

In 2023, the Lahore High Court upheld this act in "Nayyab Ali v. Federation of Pakistan," overturning the Shariat ruling.
Details
Sources:
translaw.clpr.org.in/wp-con…
x.com/nayyabalipk/status/17…
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May 19, 2023–Dec 12, 2023
Illegal
The Federal Shariat Court struck down the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, declaring it un-Islamic.
Details
Sources:
www.amnesty.org/en/latest/n…
www.federalshariatcourt.gov…
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May 8, 2018–May 19, 2023
Legal, no restrictions
In May 2018, the National Assembly of Pakistan had passed the Transgender Persons Act 2018 providing trans Pakistanis legal recognition on the basis of self-identity and prohibits discrimination and harassment.
Details
Sources:
translaw.clpr.org.in/legisl…
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Apr 30, 2008–May 8, 2018
Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
In 2008, Pakistan allowed a trans man to legally change his gender but made legal gender recognition only legal with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria until 2018.
Details
Sources:
web.archive.org/web/2008050…
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Gender-affirming care in Federally Administered Tribal Areas

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Gender-affirming care in Federally Administered Tribal Areas is legal.

Current status
Since May 10, 2018
Legal
While it has been called un-Islamic by an official governmental advisory group and has faced several attempts at banning it, gender-affirming care is legal and state-funded in Pakistan.
Details
Sources:
www.reuters.com/article/wor…
www.thelancet.com/journals/…
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Apr 30, 2008–May 10, 2018
Restricted
In 2008, Pakistan allowed a trans man to undergo gender affirming healthcare but it was restricted to only people with a medical diagnosis for gender dysphoria until 2018.
Details
Sources:
web.archive.org/web/2008050…
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Federally Administered Tribal Areas

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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Federally Administered Tribal Areas is recognized.

Current status
Since Dec 13, 2023
Recognized
Pakistan has allowed trans people to self-identify since the Lahore High Court struck down the Shariat ruling in Nayyab Ali v. Federation of Pakistan. "Third gender" is included as an option.
Details
Sources:
www.washingtonblade.com/202…
Nayyab Ali - X.com twitter.com/nayyabalipk/sta…
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May 19, 2023–Dec 12, 2023
Not legally recognized
The Federal Shariat Court struck down the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, declaring it un-Islamic.
Details
Sources:
www.amnesty.org/en/latest/n…
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May 11, 2018–May 18, 2023
Recognized
The country adopted a third option under gender on civil registration acts in 2018. A local television station has even made a transgender person its anchor/presenter.
Details
Sources:
www.amnesty.org/en/latest/n…
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Until May 10, 2018
Not legally recognized
Transgender people in Pakistan before this date were not allowed to identify as non-binary as the Transgender Act had not been implemented yet.
Details
Sources:
www.amnesty.org/en/latest/n…
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LGBT discrimination in Federally Administered Tribal Areas

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LGBT discrimination in Federally Administered Tribal Areas is illegal in some contexts.

Current status
Since May 9, 2018
Illegal in some contexts
Pakistani law only prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity.
Details
Sources:
na.gov.pk/uploads/documents…
www.state.gov/reports/2023-… - Section 6 para 7
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LGBT employment discrimination in Federally Administered Tribal Areas

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LGBT employment discrimination in Federally Administered Tribal Areas is gender identity only.

Current status
Gender identity only
Pakistani law only prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity.
Details
Sources:
www.state.gov/reports/2023-… - Section 6 para 7
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LGBT housing discrimination in Federally Administered Tribal Areas

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LGBT housing discrimination in Federally Administered Tribal Areas is gender identity only.

Current status
Since Apr 12, 1973
Gender identity only
Pakistani law only prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity.
Details
Sources:
www.state.gov/reports/2023-… - Section 6 para 7
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Same-sex adoption in Federally Administered Tribal Areas

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Same-sex adoption in Federally Administered Tribal Areas is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
Pakistan has yet to allow same sex adoption in it’s borders
Details
Sources:
www.state.gov/reports/2021-…
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Intersex infant surgery in Federally Administered Tribal Areas

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Intersex infant surgery in Federally Administered Tribal Areas is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
There is no policy or legal ban on surgery on intersex infants in Pakistan and the practice is reportedly quite widespread.
Details
Sources:
www.thenews.com.pk/print/99…
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Serving openly in military in Federally Administered Tribal Areas

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Serving openly in military in Federally Administered Tribal Areas is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
According to Wikipedia.
Details
Sources:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGB…
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Blood donations by MSMs in Federally Administered Tribal Areas

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Blood donations by MSMs in Federally Administered Tribal Areas is banned (indefinite deferral).

Current status
Banned (indefinite deferral)
Reports show MSMs are not allowed to donate blood in Pakistan
Details
Sources:
www.state.gov/reports/2021-…
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Conversion therapy in Federally Administered Tribal Areas

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Conversion therapy in Federally Administered Tribal Areas is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
No laws currently ban conversion therapy or similar practices and they are widespread.
Details
Sources:
www.state.gov/reports/2023-… - Sectio 6 para 10
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Equal age of consent in Federally Administered Tribal Areas

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Equal age of consent in Federally Administered Tribal Areas is n/a.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1862
N/A
Age of consent is not applicable because homosexuality is illegal in Pakistan.
Details
Sources:
www.ageofconsent.com/pakistan.htm
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Equality Index ?
31 / 100
Legal Rights
31 / 100
This region's Equality Index is based on legal rights alone. Please submit survey results that show the public opinion of LGBTQ+ issues in Federally Administered Tribal Areas to help improve its accuracy.
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