Justice for Khadija

It is difficult to fathom the trauma that has been inflicted on Khadija Siddiqui over the last three years. While just a student, she was stabbed 23 times by fellow student Shah Hussain. Her physical injuries were so severe that she had to spend days in hospital and one can only imagine the mental anguish she has suffered. Her tribulations did not end there. Khadija’s attacker is the son of a prominent lawyer which may explain why the odds seemed stacked against her in the judicial system. The Lahore High Court judgement overturning Hussain’s conviction had disregarded the testimony of dozens of eyewitnesses because they were her friends, and had also questioned Khadija’s testimony. Now that the Supreme Court has accepted Khadija’s appeal and reinstated the five-year prison sentence for Hussain, at least some measure of justice has been done. It shows that, despite the deck being stacked against victims of violence perpetrated by those with influence, bravery and perseverance can still win the day. The poise Khadija has shown in the face of having her character and motivations questioned should serve as an inspiration to all of us.

As welcome as the Supreme Court judgement is, and as awe-inspiring as Khadija’s courage is, we still need to question why it proved so difficult to get a conviction against Hussain. His guilt should never have been in doubt, keeping in mind the evidence and witnesses provided by the prosecution. That the high court verdict still ruled against Khadija shows just how difficult it is for women to get the justice they deserve. During her three-year struggle in the court system, Khadija was vilified, her personal life was discussed in disapproving terms and she faced numerous sexist attacks. It is to the credit of the Supreme Court that it stuck only to the facts in reaching its verdict – but there is clearly room for improvement elsewhere.

We need to start with police investigations. Usually, the police do not give the same weight to the testimony of women as they do to influential men, which also explains why many women usually find it difficult to name their attackers. The judicial system too seems to make it more difficult for women to get justice in such cases. It should not take extraordinary efforts like those made by Khadija just to see the man who nearly killed her behind bars. As happy as one is that Khadija has received justice, there are hundreds like her who are still waiting to be heard and believed.