Lawyer Khadija Siddiqui fearful for her life after shots fired by unknown persons outside Lahore home

Lawyer Khadija Siddiqui, who was stabbed 23 times by her classmate back in 2016, on Saturday said that she fears for her life, after shots were fired by unknown people outside her home in Lahore's Gulberg area. 

Khadija has filed a complaint with the police, at the Gulberg police station.

"I was alone at home when I heard someone fire shots. When I went outside, I saw a bullet hole in the car's bonnet," she stated in the complaint.

She recalled how on May 3, 2016, she was attacked, and provided a case reference number (330/16), which was filed at the Civil Lines police station.

"My life is in danger. I demand legal action," Khadija further said in her complaint.

Speaking to Geo News, Khadija said that the shots were loud enough for her to think that they were fired from inside her house.

The lawyer drew attention to what she said was a promise made Punjab Minister for Prisons Fayyazul Hassan Chohan that if her life is threatened, he will file a complaint himself.

Meanwhile, her father, Ahmed Siddiqui, told Geo News that he was not at home when the incident occurred.

"When I returned I saw Khadija distraught. She told me someone had fired shots at our house," he said.

According to Ahmed, they called the 15 police helpline number and the police "arrived immediately".

Siddiqui said that it is possible someone had fired shots while celebrating Independence Day.

He said that no untoward incident had occurred since Khadija's attacker was released late July.

"But today's incident has left us concerned," he said.

Later, Chohan contacted Khadija and assured her that the perpetrators will be caught and brought to book.

Punjab CM takes notice

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar took notice of the incident and sought a report from the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO).

He ordered the speedy arrest of the perpetrators and a thorough probe into the matter.

Siddiqui's stabbing case

Khadija was attacked on May 3, 2016, on Lahore's Davis Road where she and her driver had gone to pick up her younger sister from school.

On July 29, 2017, a judicial magistrate sentenced her classmate, Shah Hussain, to seven-year imprisonment. The following year, however, Hussain was acquitted by the Lahore High Court.

In 2019, the Supreme Court overturned the LHC's decision, after which Hussain was arrested once more.

This year, on July 17, he was able to secure an early release.

Chohan had explained that the convict did not receive a remit from the IG jails or jail superintendent, but was instead given a waiver of 17 months and 23 days according to jail rules.

He said that the convict was granted pardon for eight months and eight days on the basis of penal servitude, one month pardon for good behaviour, one month pardon for donating blood, four months and 15 days’ pardon for doing a BA in jail in 2019, and three months’ pardon for finishing the Quran in 2020.