Nisha Rao scripts history, becomes 1st transgender student at Karachi University

Nisha Rao has become the first Pakistani  transgender to get admission in an MPhil programme at the University of Karachi where she will be pursuing her LLM degree, reported Dawn, an English daily in Pakistan. The report further stated that she was forced to resort to begging after being treated as an outcast. At the age of 18, Rao ran away from her parents in Lahore and ended up in Karachi, where she was forced to rely on begging on the streets to make ends meet. Although she was advised by members of the transgender community to beg or become a sex worker in order to survive but chose to use alms collected through begging to pay for her law classes and after a few years she completed her law degree. She further went on to join the Karachi Bar Association after gaining her law licence in 2020, reported Dawn.  

She expressed her delight after being granted admission into the MPhil programme. Speaking to Geo News, Rao said that she had taken the exam in the month of June and was a bit anxious for the last two months. She further said that she felt a sense of relief when she was informed about her admission just four days ago. Meanwhile, Khalid Iraqi, the Vice-Chancellor of the Karachi University, stated that it would be the first time when a transgender will be awarded an MPhil degree by the University since its inception. The Trans Pride Society, an NGO dedicated to the rights of transgenders founded by Rao, also announced about her admission. "A momentous day! Nisha Rao, Founder and President of Trans Pride Society, was admitted to the University of Karachi for their Master of Laws Program (L.L.M.). Pictured next to Vice Chancellor of Karachi University, Prof. Dr. Khalid M Iraqi, Nisha is ecstatic for the next step in her journey as Pakistan’s First Transgender Lawyer [sic]," it wrote on Instagram while sharing a picture. 

Rao hopes to inspire her community members

The society further said that Rao hopes to inspire her community members to strive to reach their goals with unfaltering faith, even if they are faced with resolute opposition at times, as she did. It should be noted here that Rao has not been offered a scholarship to cover her LLM studies, according to the university's public relations office. Currently, the university does not offer any scholarships specifically for transgender students. However, Rao intends to pursue the degree by paying for it herself, reported Dawn. 

Image: Instagram/@transpridesociety