A Pakistani man attempting to establish the country’s first gay club has been detained in a mental hospital by local authorities.
The man, who chose to remain anonymous in an interview with The Telegraph, submitted an application to open the club in Abbottabad, the conservative northern city where Osama bin Laden was found and killed.
In his application to the deputy commissioner (DC) of Abbottabad, the man stated that the club would be a “great convenience and resource for many homosexual, bisexual, and even some heterosexual people residing in Abbottabad in particular, and in other parts of the country in general.”
Gay sex is illegal in Pakistan, punishable by two years to life in prison. The conservative religious culture also makes it difficult to be openly homosexual, although these laws are rarely enforced in practice.
Displays of affection, even among heterosexual couples, are frowned upon, with fornication before marriage considered a crime.
The application detailed that the proposed gay club, tentatively named Lorenzo Gay Club, would not allow any sexual activities other than kissing. A clearly visible notice on the wall would state: “No sex on premises,” ensuring that even outdated laws like the anti-sodomy PPC section 377 would not be violated.
Abbottabad’s DC office confirmed to The Telegraph that it had received the application for the gay club and was reviewing it like any other proposal.
Outrage among residents
However, the application was leaked on social media, sparking outrage among locals and politicians in the northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where women face restrictions on education and socializing outside their homes.
Naseer Khan Nazir, a leader of the right-wing Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PATY), warned of “very severe consequences” if the club was approved. Another MP from the party threatened to set the building on fire.
The leader of Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI), a conservative religious party in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly, claimed the man had recently returned from a visit to the UK.
The Telegraph learned that the applicant was transferred to the Sarhad Hospital for Psychiatric Diseases in Peshawar on May 9. Friends expressed deep concern for his safety, stating they were barred from visiting him or obtaining further information.
“Everyone is afraid that talking about it will put them in danger,” one friend said. “I do not know about his well-being for many days,” another added, noting their unsuccessful attempts to find out more about his condition.
The friends mentioned that the man’s sexuality was well-known in Abbottabad and he had never faced issues within the community. They emphasized his vulnerability, fearing that “anything could happen to him at any time.”
In an interview before his transfer to the Peshawar mental hospital, the applicant told The Telegraph, “I talk about human rights and I want everyone’s human rights to be defended.”
He mentioned that if his petition were rejected, he would request a written explanation from the officials.
“I have started the struggle for the rights of the most neglected community in Pakistan and I will raise my voice in every forum,” he declared.
“If the authorities refuse, then I will approach the court, and I hope that like the Indian court, the Pakistani court will rule in favor of gay people.”
While several Indian states allow live-in relationships between same-sex couples, the Supreme Court declined to legalize gay marriage last year, arguing that it is a matter for parliament.
Religious parties have accused the applicant of working on behalf of a foreign state and have called for Abbottabad’s DC to be dismissed merely for considering the application.
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