Khadija Siddiqi was stabbed 23 times in broad daylight, and has been fighting for justice ever since. The case should not be that difficult to solve. You stab someone, you go to jail for it. It is an attempt to murder, which falls under Section 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The lawyer fraternity knows this on the tips of their fingers by now.
The person who stabbed her, Shah Hussain, is the son of a lawyer, and the accused with powerful lawyers on his side is doing everything in his power to build a case against Khadija. The lawyers’ movement of Pakistan is not a very distant memory. It highlighted that the lawyers of the country are still relevant and can be responsible citizens. However, incidents like these prove the selective morality of our people and our legal fraternity.
There are voices of reason present here as well, as Asma Jehangir’s team of lawyers are fighting the case. However, the female lawyer fighting for her was hurled abuses at, while a male lawyer was dragged out of court and severely beaten. All of this happened in the presence of a judge, who refused to budge an inch, and stop the injustice.
And while it can be admitted that the case is sub judice and we must respect the final say of the court, the conduct of those related to the judiciary is extremely disappointing and gives women like Khadija no hope for justice. The defendants are now accusing her of bad moral character, as if that makes stabbing her right. This case is not just about getting legal justice, but how cruel our society is to female victims, and how easy it is to justify crimes against women by assassinating their character.