Khadija Siddiqi completes bar degree

LONDON: Brave Pakistani law student Khadija Siddiqi who was stabbed 23 times in a brazen broad daylight attack in Lahore has completed her bar degree from City Law School.

Siddiqi has now officially become a barrister after clearing 12 examinations. The university confirmed to The News that she has received an overall “very competent” grade. Her graduation ceremony for a “call to the bar” will be held at the Lincoln’s Inn in October this year.

Siddiqui completed her Law degree from Blackstone School of Law (University of London) and came to study in the UK in September 2018. On January 22, whilst giving the intense and stressful bar exams she had to return to Pakistan to attend her final hearing in the Supreme Court, which was decided in her favour and finally closed her struggle of three years.

She told The News that she was delighted to have passed all her bar examinations. She said: “Studying at City Law School in London has been a wonderful experience. I was able to get a very unique exposure to people from all over the world. The teachers were all exceptionally considerate and helpful throughout the year. I gave a few talks at various universities and worked as the youth ambassador for PTS foundation UK. London is a diverse city and gave me a lot of room to experience different cultures.”

Siddiqui plans to return to Pakistan to practise as a lawyer after call to the bar at Lincolns Inn. “As I always said, the plan is to work and strive for the people of Pakistan. I hope and pray God gives me the willpower and strength to give a voice to the voiceless and bring about judicial reforms in the near future,” she said.

She added: “I remember when I was called by my lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar who told me that my case was fixed for 23rd January. He said that the case could be heard in my absence too if it was getting hard to come back midway bar course. But somewhere deep in my heart I knew that all hopes were hinging upon my case, how they were eagerly waiting for justice to be served. It became my obligation and duty to be present in the Supreme Court of Pakistan for my case hearing. I did not give it a second thought and booked my ticket. I missed a week of lectures and some important classes but that somehow became secondary to the big battle I had been fighting for the previous three years.

“I would like to thank The News and Geo for always giving me their platform. To every person out there who helped me in some way during my case I want to say that the journey to get justice for our oppressed people has just begun. Great things happen when our society unites for such causes!”

Khadija Siddiqi was 21 when she was brutally attacked by Shah Hussain in Lahore after she refused his advances. In the jealous rage, she was attacked while her young sister looked on at a busy Lahore road.

She had to put up a lonely fight to get justice but soon her campaign gathered momentum when Geo News’ Shahzeb Khanzada did several shows on her case. The media exposure led to civil society and activists like Hassan Niazi and Jibran Nasir campaigning for the case and fought alongside her.