Wedding couple, guests arrested after transgender marriage ceremony in NW Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Police in northwestern Pakistan broke up a wedding between a businessman and his transgender bride, taking away the couple and 43 guests for violating laws against same-sex marriage in the devoutly Muslim country, an official said Tuesday.

Guests were dancing to drums when authorities made the raid Monday in Peshawar city, police official Javed Khan said.

The bride and many of the guests are transgender, meaning they are biologically male but present themselves as female in their daily lives.

“It falls under same-sex marriage, which is not allowed under our law,” Khan said.