Khadija Siddiqi stabbing case: SC orders arrest of convict Shah Hussain

Setting aside the Lahore High Court's (LHC) acquittal of Khadija Siddiqi's alleged attacker Shah Hussain, the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday ordered the immediate arrest of Hussain.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa, took up Siddiqi's petition challenging the acquittal of  her fellow student Hussain. The bench declared the LHC's judgment null and void and ordered to arrest Hussain who was then taken into custody. Hussain has been sentenced to five years imprisonment.

Siddiqi was stabbed 23 times allegedly by Shah who is the son of a lawyer, back in 2016 which she miraculously survived. In 2018, a judicial magistrate sentenced Hussain to seven-year imprisonment. However, the same year in March, a sessions court shortened his jail term from seven years to five years. The LHC had acquitted Hussain after which Siddiqui filed an appeal in the SC.

During the hearing today, Siddiqi, who arrived earlier from United Kingdom, and her sister appeared before the court. The CJP asked why Hussain was named as the stabber after five days since the accident. Siddiqi's lawyer replied that his client was in critical condition and could not record her statements, local media reported.

The bench asked that Siddiqi's sister was conscious then why was Hussain named in the case after a delay. When the CJP inquired about the victim's wounds, her counsel replied that 12 of Siddiqi's wounds were two centimeters deep.