Voila! Pakistani girl is now a boy

ISLAMABAD - A 17-year-old Pakistani girl, who had been very sick for the past few months and turned into a boy after a sex-change operation, is grateful to be healthy and alive now and said post-operation: “I don’t care about whether I am a boy or a girl as long as I am alive.”

Farzana, who was critically ill, was taken to a hospital in Lahore from Rahim Yar Khan city in Punjab province.

“She had been ill for nearly a year and we have had several consultations,” Express Tribune quoted Rehan, a doctor, as saying.

“I had told her parents that she had a rare genetic condition and that she was suffering from a severe hormonal imbalance.”

The doctor said: “Farzana has hermaphrodite genes and we needed to operate on her soon because her body was beginning to shut down.”

Farzana’s worried father Ishtiaq said: “The doctor came to us and said that we had the choice to see our daughter die or to see her become our son.”

“I am glad to have a son who can help me out at work now and I am not in the least bit ashamed,” he said.

Farzana underwent the sex change operation Sunday night and Monday afternoon her parents changed her name to Faizan.

An elated Faizan said that he was “just happy to be alive”.

“My life has completely changed but I hope I can still retain my friendships. I hope that I can stay in touch with all my friends and that people don’t judge me for this,” Faizan said.

“I have been sick for a very long time and now that I am healthy I am thankful. I don’t care about whether I am a boy or a girl as long as I am alive,” he said.