S02E02: Trial by Fire

Notes on a Scandal

On November 5, 1970, Shahnaz Gul was arrested by the Karachi police on charges of killing Mustafa Zaidi. She was represented by S S Shaikh, one of Karachi's most well-known lawyers. The trial was a media circus -- Shahnaz was hounded by press photographers. Dozens of members of the public went to the hearings, hanging around court to catch a glimpse of Shahnaz, whose legendary beauty is still spoken of with reverence in Karachi. Shahnaz's lawyers maintained that she was innocent. Lawyer Sara Malkani joins the episode to talk about the trial, and how women are treated by the criminal justice system in Pakistan, and what has changed for women in the past fifty years.
About Sara Malkani:
Sara Malkani is an advocate of the High Courts of Pakistan with over 10 years of experience practicing law. She has extensive experience in criminal litigation, family law, labor and employment law, constitutional litigation and international human rights law. Sara has a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School at Ann Arbor and a B.A. with high honours from Princeton University, where her thesis was awarded the Class of 1869 Prize in Ethics. Sara actively pursues human rights cases and has an extensive pro bono practice. She is a co-founder and Chairperson of the Women Lawyers’ Association, an organization that works to promote gender equality and continuing legal education in the legal profession.
Credits:
Image of Shahnaz Gul from Mashriq newspaper, published December 5, 1970. Courtesy the Liaquat National Library archive.

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