Khadija stabbing case: SC accepts appeal against acquittal

LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted for regular hearing an appeal against acquittal of Shah Hussain in the case pertaining to stabbing law student Khadija Siddiqui.

During a hearing at Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry on Wednesday, a two member bench led by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa issued bailable arrest warrants for Hussain and ordered him to submit surety bonds of Rs100,000.

Both Shah and Khadija appeared before the court along with their lawyers.

Justice Khosa questioned why Khadija and her sister accused Hussain to which his lawyer said both were classmates in a law college.

Justice Khosa remarked that identification of accused could be doubted had the incident occurred at night but in the instant case the occurrence took place in broad daylight.

Khadija had filed an appeal against the acquittal of Shah Hussain by Lahore High Court.

The court adjourned hearing and remarked that case would be heard after summer vacations.

Hussain was convicted in 2017 for brutally attacking the 23-year-old law student with a knife in Lahore on May 3, 2016. His seven-year sentence by a judicial magistrate was reduced to a two-year sentence by a sessions court in March. However, on June 4, the Lahore High Court ordered his acquittal.

After the acquittal was announced, Khadija said she would challenge her case in the top court.

Subsequently on June 5, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar took suo motu notice on the case and transferred appeal against acquittal of Khadija’s attacker to Justice Khosa’s bench.