Journal of the Asia Ethno-Forms Association
JOURNAL OF ASIA ETHNO-FORMS ASSOCIATION 21st Issue
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Published by Journal of the Asia Ethno-Forms Association  
24 registered articles
(updated on March 18, 2026)
Online ISSN : 2759-0798
Print ISSN : 2758-8564
ISSN-L : 2758-8564
JOURNAL PEER REVIEWED PARTIALLY RESTRICTED ACCESS
Featured article
Volume 21 (2025) Issue 01 Pages 3-14
Institutions and Symbols of Identity
Gaoli LIU
＜Abstract＞ This paper explores how the legally recognized gender category “Khawaja Sara” (KS) has been reconstructed and institutionalized in contemporary Pakistan through the intersections of religious symbolism, historical vocabulary, and legal frameworks. Drawing on long-term fieldwork conducted since 2011— including participant observation and interviews with KS individuals, religious figures, legal professionals, and NGOs—the author investigates how the term “Khawaja Sara,” which originally referred to eunuchs in the Mughal court, has been repurposed by the modern state as an official identity category. Particular attention is paid to the series of Supreme Court rulings between 2009 and 2012 that culminated in the formal adoption of the term within national ID systems. The paper argues that the naming of KS constitutes not merely a label, but a political translation shaped by colonial legacies, normative gender frameworks, and the state’s strategies of inclusion and control. The study ultimately reconsiders the dynamics of gender identity, embodiment, and the asymmetrical power inherent in the institutional act of naming.
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