Khadija, a law student from Lahore, was stabbed 23 times in broad daylight more than a year ago. She was picking up her younger sister from school when the attack occurred and her life changed. A year later, justice has not only been delayed, but, according to Khadija, it has been denied.
Apparently she now has to sit an exam for her degree in the same exam room as the guy she is accusing of attacking her
Moreover, Khadija says that the judicial process has been tedious and unhelpful and it is presumably because of the influence of the attacker’s father within Pakistani courts.
Khadija has appeared on TV shows to discuss how her case of being stabbed out of nowhere and the accused not being reprimanded is a lesson for other girls that they don’t have security in their own country
On the show she mentioned how she feared for other girls like herself who could become victims if her attacker is not put on trial.
stabbed 23 times,Khadija has been fightng fr justice since an year. now appeals to chief justice.full segmnt in linkhttps://t.co/ON9fuyhbd4 pic.twitter.com/r3zAOriwFE
— Shahzeb Khanzada (@shazbkhanzdaGEO) May 17, 2017
Fellow students have started a petition to protect Khadija in fear of her safety and overnight, it’s gone viral. 2,547 people have signed it so far, and a total of 5,000 are required.
The petition was formed by fellow students of Khadija and in the petition they have named the accused, saying they feel threatened by his presence
Pakistanis are shocked at the incident, and rightly so
Find this guy and make an example out of him! https://t.co/9o07l7klqJ
— Mahira Khan (@TheMahiraKhan) May 18, 2017
Stabbed 23 times, Khatija Siddiqi is now inspiring young girls. Her attacker an influential lawyer's son out on bail https://t.co/0BwKV06h5m
— M. Jibran Nasir (@MJibranNasir) May 17, 2017
The Girl Who Was Stabbed 23 Times By Her Classmate Is Still Seeking Justicehttps://t.co/LgpTcKr6p3@shazbkhanzdaGEO @GeoASKKS
— Siasat.pk (@siasatpk) May 17, 2017
Incidents like these need to be resolved quicker not for the fact that we need to be “make an example” out of the accused but for the simple reason that security and safety in one’s own home country is everyone’s human right. If people start stabbing each other in broad daylight without any repercussion, for the fact that your parents are well-connected enough to allow you to go on stabbing people, that leads to the kind of lawlessness that we are riddled with today. Criminals get confident, respect for law and police ends and we become a barbaric society. Certainly we don’t want that, do we?
Cover image via The Nation