Appeal against Khadija’s assailant transferred to Justice Khosa by SC

LAHORE: Justice Asif Saeed Khosa will be hearing the appeal against Lahore High Court (LHC)’s decision to acquit the man accused of stabbing Khadija Siddiqi 23 times with a knife.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar headed a two-judge bench at the Lahore registry of the apex court, where he took a suo moto against the acquittal of the accused named Shah Husaain, after which the decision to transfer the appeal to Justice Khosa was delivered.

The case’s record was summoned by the CJP a day after LHC’s Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem had ordered acquittal of Hussain, after accommodating his appeal opposing the seven-year sentence handed to him by a sessions court.

Hussain’s father was questioned by the CJP during the session where he stated: "How did you run a campaign against the apex court and pass a resolution against it?"

The comment by the CJP had been put forth following an undisputed Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) decision passed by the convict’s father in opposition to the suo moto notice by the CJP of his acquittal.

The CJP had further inquired: "Had something similar happened to the daughter of a lawyer, would your attitude have been the same?"

Appearing in front of the Lahore Registry today, law student Khadija Siddiqi stated “I have become a target of character assassination. Justice should be served in my case.”

Verdict delivered by the LHC had left the nation appalled for granting acquittal to the offender who stabbed Khadija 23 times in Lahore in 2016.

After the judgment was declared Khadija had announced that she would be taking her case in the top court.