Islamabad: Aabpara Chowk, the busiest open market in Islamabad, is a place where daily thousands of commuters, visitors and customers arrive for shopping, office work, job or business etc.

At a crossroads in this chowk, one can see a decently dressed young transgender person distributing pamphlets, engaging public in short conversation and seeking their vote.

She is contesting for a National Assembly seat in the upcoming July 25 elections.

Her name is Nadeem Kashish and she works as a make-up artist for a TV channel.

After the job, she goes out for canvassing as she is a candidate from the same constituency of National Assembly (NA-53, Islamabad) that is chosen by PML-N stalwart and former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan for election 2018.

Despite odds being heavily against her, Kashish says she is confident she can give brew a surprise in this election.

“Within my limited resources, I am trying my level best to approach the maximum number of voters possible and get their assurance they would cast their vote for me,” she says.

According to her, the feedback so far is quite overwhelming.

Undeterred by what her political opponents would say, or her possibly having limited chances of success, Kashish continues her door-to-door campaign.

A resident of the slums adjacent to Imam Bari Shrine, her life has been a continuous struggle against odds of all kinds.

First Kashish revolted against the ‘Guru Culture’ that is dominant among thetransgender community of Pakistan and instead decided to get education. She is at intermediate level and plans to graduate.

Then she founded Shemale Association For Fundamental Rights (SAFFAR) and raised the voice for the rights of her community.

Then she joined FM radio “Power 99” and started radio programme “Moorat Aik Qudrat” (Shemale, A Miracle) and raised awareness among the listeners about the rights of her community.

“My message to my listeners is clear: Respect the transgender community as you respect others. We are no less than anyone in terms of talent, ambitions or hard work,” she says.

About her experience of contesting polls, Kashish says she was approached by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Gulalai (PTI-Gulalai) party and offered a ticket, but she turned down the offer saying in that case, she had to follow the party discipline and her dream of securing a better future for transgender community would remain unrealised.

She said for the general elections she was not being supported by any NGO or group.

“The Pakistan People’s Party has contacted me and asked me to withdraw [my candidacy] in their support, saying they would pay me the expenses I have borne so far, but I’ve covered a long distance and now going back is not an option,” she said.

How does she manage to spend on election campaign?

“Out of my Rs40,000 [Dh1,143] I paid Rs30,000 election security fee and then went out on foot for the door-to-door campaign.”

When asked what she planned to do if elected, she said her priority would be her voters and she would also use her office for the welfare of the transgender community.

And if she loses, she said, she has already won the election by deciding to contest polls.

“I shall keep knocking at the doors of Parliament and I’m sure one day the doors would open for me.”