I fought for women of Pakistan: Knife-attack victim Khadija Siddiqui to WION
This is a story of Pakistan's Khadija Siddiqui, a 24-year-old law student who was brutally stabbed 23 times in Lahore on May 3, 2016, by Shah Hussain, a fellow student from the university.
Khadija's battle for justice was finally honoured by the Pakistan Supreme Court on Wednesday, January 23. The Court sentenced the guilty to prison.
Back in 2016, Khadija was just 21, waiting to take on the world. Little did she know on that fateful summer afternoon, three days before her law exam, that she would suffer an attack that would scar her face and life forever.
Siddiqui shared her story with WION, stating that her determination and will to fight brought her justice and the confidence with which she faces the world fearlessly.
"It was around 2 pm. I, along with my driver had gone to pick my sister from school in our car. Everything was pre-meditated. He had parked his bike and was waiting for me to appear," she said.
Hussain attacked her as she was about to get into the backseat of her car.
"He kept stabbing me like a mad man and no one came forward to help," she explained adding that it was her driver who managed to fight Hussain and save the sisters.
"I had refused to continue being friends with him in the university when I sensed there was something that was not right about him," Siddiqui told WION.
Khadija believes Hussain's male ego was wounded and drove him to commit the heinous crime. For four months she fought death.
"I had 200 stitches. 50 in the neck alone. I could barely open my mouth to eat", she told as he fought back tears.
Her body was scarred but her soul was not willing to give up just yet. Khadija wanted to live to fight for justice.
"It was a tough decision we had to make, the decision to pursue justice", she said.
Her family was aware they were up against the son of a famous lawyer but they never gave up hope, their decision to fight the battle for justice never faltered.
"He is the son of a lawyer and the legal fraternity was out there to protect him with all their might and that was the biggest hurdle," she noted.
"They thought they could use their power and authority to suppress my cause. Being a law student myself I just could not let that happen".
The course of judgement was a long and an extremely difficult one. Hussain's father had vowed to use everything in his power to stop his son from being jailed. Though the judicial magistrate had sentenced Hussain to seven-year imprisonment in July 2017, he was later acquitted by the Lahore High Court.
There were numerous threats. Khadija had to suffer sexual harassment and face many hurdles during the legal process.
The guilty had left no stone unturned to scare the family into submission. However, instead of feeling threatened, the family became more determined to shatter the arrogance of those guilty and ensure justice prevailed.
"Women who have suffered similar fate have come up to me and thanked me for not giving up. They said unlike them, I should not give up, that I should be an example they failed to be due to lack of support," she shared.
"Women are not weak. Just that we have been conditioned to believe otherwise. I was fighting to help Pakistani women get rid of this psyche," Khadija noted.
The Pakistan Supreme Court finally ruled in her favour. The Court accepted Khadija's appeal to overturn the acquittal and declared the Lahore High Court's verdict null and void. Hussain was taken into custody from outside Pakistan Supreme Court.
Khadija clearly remembers the moment the judgement was pronounced and describes it as 'overwhelming'. She was aware of the significance of the case, how the ruling would go down in history and how she had to win the case for the sake of all the women who looked up to her.
"I could not jeopardise the future of justice for women in the country. I felt it was my responsibility to keep fighting till I won."
"This victory is not mine alone. It is a victory for every woman out there," she emphasised.
With the nightmare behind her now, Khadija wishes to continue studying law so that she can be well equipped to take up cases of human rights violation in future. She wishes to practice criminal law and fight cases of violence committed against women.
"Do not suffer in silence" is Khadija's parting message to all women. She called out women to raise their voice against the injustices they suffer. "Stop victim shaming," she pleaded.
"The truth you will emerge as victorious. It took me three years but I did win finally," she concluded.
Story highlights
This is a story of a 24-year-old Pakistani woman who was stabbed 23 times and how she fought to nail the guilty.
No comments:
Post a Comment