The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday acquitted Shah Hussain, sentenced for attacking her fellow student Khadija Siddiqui.
The decision was announced by Justice Ahmed Naeem after hearing arguments from both parties. In July 2017, Shah Hussain was found guilty of stabbing Khadija at least 23 times.
Announcing the verdict, a single bench of the LHC acquitted the convict, giving him benefit of doubt.
During the proceedings, Hussain’s lawyer stated that the case against his client was based on preposterous allegations.
He said that Shah Hussain was not present at the time of the attack and the evidence against him was insufficient.
Meanwhile, #JusticeForKhadija hashtag remained a top twitter trean on Monday as social media users dismissed the acquittal as politically motivated and called for justice to be done in the case.
Last year, a local court had sentenced Shah to seven years in prison. The sentence was reduced to five years on March 30 this year. The judge who had originally tried Hussain in the case noted in decision that despite detailed cross-examination of eyewitnesses, nothing came out in favour of the accused. He observed that the accused had stabbed the victim mercilessly as severe injuries clearly established that the convict stabbed her without any limit to commit her to death.
Siddiqui was attacked on May 3, 2016, near Shimla Hill on Davis Road where she, along with her driver, had gone to pick her younger sister from school. Both sisters were about to get into their car when the helmet-wearing suspect attacked Khadija with a knife and stabbed her 23 times, leaving her critically injured.
Published in Daily Times, June 5th 2018.
