Laila Ali becomes the first Pakistani transgender woman to receive a driver's licence in the country's history. The licence was issued by the Pakistani traffic authorities, a media report said on Tuesday.

The Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) on Monday issued Laila Ali her licence on the special directives of Islamabad's police chief who said that she had been driving without a licence for a decade, reports Dawn news.

Ali told Dawn that she spoke to the police chief and informed him of the issues and problems faced by the transgender community in Islamabad, including victimisation by the police.

She said that during discussions, the police chief assured her that problems faced by the transgender community will be addressed and offered to issue her a driving licence from ITP.

An estimated 500,000 transgenders are presently in Pakistan.

In May, Pakistan Parliament passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act which established broad protections for transgender people.

IANS