LGBT rights in Pakistan

rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Pakistan

Key facts

Legal status: Illegal since 1947; criminalised under Section 377
Penalty: 2 years–life imprisonment; fines. (Sharia law can enforce a death penalty but proof requirements are high and no evidence of judicial implementation)
Gender identity: Third gender recognised; transgender people allowed to change legal gender
Military: No
Discrimination protections: Gender identity only, not sexuality
Recognition of relationships: No recognition of same-sex unions
Adoption: No

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Commons category: LGBT rights in Pakistan

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Article

Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Pakistan. Additionally, LGBTQ people in the country face legal and social difficulties and persecution compared to non-LGBTQ persons.

The Pakistani Penal Code of 1860, originally developed under the British Raj, criminalises sodomy with possible penalties of prison sentences from two years to a life sentence and fines. Despite its illegality, homosexual acts are only occasionally prosecuted by authorities, but it is sometimes used to threaten and harass homosexuals under threat of prosecution. Other morality and public order provisions in the Penal Code are used to target LGBTQ Pakistanis as well. Another greater problem can be vigilante policing and killings by Islamist and terrorist groups. Police may also act illegally and arrest LGBTQ individuals despite the law stating otherwise.