Daily Times

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar took suo moto notice of convict’s acquittal in stabbing case of 23-year-old law student Khadija Siddiqui. According to a press release issued by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Justice Nisar summoned the case’s record at the apex court’s Lahore registry on June 10. The development comes a day after Shah Hussain, who was earlier convicted by the trial court of stabbing Sidiqui with the intention of killing her, was acquitted of the charges by the Lahore High Court (LHC).

Social media users including prominent figures and celebrities had condemned the LHC’s decision and called on the chief justice to reopen the case to ensure justice is done. Shah Hussain is the son of lawyer Tanveer Hashmi and the convict’s side had reportedly been using influence to manipulate the proceedings of the court ever since the case came to the fore.

However, after the top judge’s notice, Sidddiui is hopeful for justice. Talking to Daily Times, she termed the LHC’s decision shocking, and added that the convict’s defense was based on character assassination attacks and they did not have any substantive arguments. “In the latest hearing, Shah Hussain’s lawyers argued that since I have several male friends, the attacker could have been one of them.”

Khadija further stated that the LHC order is the result of misuse of power committed by the convict as well as the legal fraternity. “The decision was in Shah Hussain’s favour because his father holds influence in the legal quarters.”

About the chief justice’s orders to reopen the case, Khadija said she is hopeful that the abuse of power that was witnessed earlier will not be allowed by the chief justice and the case will be handled transparently.

“With the chief justice himself taking notice of the acquittal, the credibility of high ups in the judiciary is at stake”, Khadija’s lawyer Hassaan Niazi told Daily Times. He added that Shah Hussain’s lawyers can no longer use delaying tactics because this time the apex court is involved.

While commenting on the acquittal, Niazi said the decision was shocking because it was an open and shut case and that young lawyers and activists had struggled hard to get the attacker convicted. “But the LHC order took us back to square one,” he said.

In April, Daily Times reported that Punjab governor Rafiq Rijwana delivered a message to Khadija through another influential personality, asking her to forgive Hussain because the trial had already ‘destroyed his career’. Khadija had further told Daily Times that the judge summoned her to his chamber and examined her wounds despite the fact that the nature of the injuries was established earlier.

Published in Daily Times, June 6^th 2018.