Nisha Rao is Pakistan’s first transsexual candidate to be accepted into an MPhil program to study law. She plans to pursue her LLM at the University of Karachi.
Rao is a transgender person, many of whom have a tough life as a result of their status as outcasts. At the age of 18, she moved away from her family in Lahore and finally landed in Karachi, where Rao was forced to rely on begging on the streets for sustenance. While elders in the transgender community urged Rao to beg or work as a sex worker in order to live, she utilized the money she earned from begging to pay for law school. Rao got a legal degree after several years of study, and she will be admitted to the Karachi Bar Association in 2020.
The lawyer is the first transgender person to be admitted to Karachi University’s MPhil program. According to the university’s public relations office, Rao is the first transgender student to be admitted to any program since the university’s founding. For the first time, Karachi University has extended admissions to transgender students for all programs, allowing Rao to apply to KU’s law school.
The Trans Pride Society, an NGO for the rights of transgender persons created by Rao, also announced Rao’s admittance. The news was made on Instagram by the society. “This is a historic day!” “Nisha Rao, Founder, and President of Trans Pride Society have been admitted to the University of Karachi’s Master of Laws Program (LLM),” they stated. “Pictured close to Karachi University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Khalid M Iraqi, Nisha is overjoyed for the next step in her path as Pakistan’s First Transgender Lawyer.”
“Nisha is the first transgender person to pursue law at Karachi University. Nisha thinks she has inspired her community members to fight for their objectives with unwavering faith, even if they experience adversity at times as she did. Nisha wishes everyone pursuing their dreams tremendous perseverance, dedication, and resilience, and she appreciates everyone for their support along the way!” the message stated.
Karachi University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Khalid Iraqi told Images that after examining Rao’s application, the decision to accept her was made during a meeting of the Board of Advanced Studies and Research (BASR). While the university does not have regulations to protect transgender students from discrimination or other obstacles, the VC stated that Rao will be given “institutional assistance” to help her journey in any way she can.
Rao has not been given a scholarship to support her LLM studies, according to the university’s public relations office. At the present, the institution does not provide any scholarships exclusively for transgender students. Rao will pursue the degree by paying for it herself.
A two-year LLM degree is typically recognized by the Higher Education Commission as comparable to an MPhil degree, according to the HEC.
