Transgender rights advocate Nayab Ali joins Pakistan’s delegation at UN review

Pakistani transgender rights advocate Nayab Ali took part in her country’s official delegation to meetings of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Geneva on 3–4 November 2026. The Pakistan Press Information Department said Ali was a member of the delegation as an expert on transgender rights. Minister of State for Law and Justice Aqeel Malik led the delegation.

The committee reviewed Pakistan’s second periodic report on its implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. According to the UN meeting summary, experts discussed health care, social protection and working conditions. They also asked how the authorities planned to close gaps in protection against discrimination, including on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The delegation responded by describing a centre in Islamabad where transgender people can get temporary accommodation, medical care and psychological support. Pakistan’s representatives also cited dedicated police desks and a phone line for reporting harassment and violence. Committee expert Julieta Rossi noted that some of the delegation’s statements differed from information from civil society and UN special procedures.

Before the meetings, Amnesty International submitted its observations to the committee. The organisation called on Pakistan to incorporate the rights set out in the covenant into domestic law so that people can invoke them directly in court.