My journey with Case No. 9 spanned continents: the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan. Accustomed to a diet of romantic comedies, fantasy loves, and vampires, my mother was skeptical when my sister insisted we watch the series.
The first episode was horrible when Seher was raped in her boss Kamran’s house. A disturbing watch with heartbreaking images that jumped off the screen. However, my mother, sister, sister-in-law and I, our group of four, were fascinated when the drama took us into the world of Seher, who sets out to seek justice.
Seher’s journey ranged from a devastated rape victim who trembled in the courtroom in front of the rich, powerful and entitled Kamran to a brave survivor who looked her rapist in the eyes and left him squirming. Words Matter: At first, Seher saw herself as a victim. Her brother goes so far as to lock her at home, her mother is only worried about what people will say.
But once Seher decides to speak out, she becomes a survivor who stands her ground. ‘After Silence: Rape and My Journey Back’ author Nancy Raine says: “The words seemed to make it visible. But speaking, even when I was ashamed, also slowly freed me from the shame I felt. The more I tried to speak, the less power the rape and its consequences seemed to have over me.”
Rape survivors in Pakistan are often tormented by society. A woman in Degwal, Sargodha, who was gang-raped by the landlord’s servants, committed suicide by setting herself on fire due to taunts from the village women. Her suicide note read: “They told me I was damaged and should never again be allowed to walk the streets of the town. They said I had disgraced my family. I want to put an end to my family’s misery and my own. They said if I had any respect for myself I should kill myself out of shame.”
Rape is the only crime in which the survivor assumes the role of aggressor and is subjected to a battery of questions: the victim’s guilt is endless and heartbreaking: what were you wearing? Why did you leave so late? What did you do? It is precisely this kind of pervasive regressive mentality that Case No. 9 sensitively addresses. The drama addresses sexual assault, institutional apathy, and the emotional toll of legal battles.
While the judicial system is filled with unscrupulous lawyers and police officers, as shown in case number 9, it is rare to have an honest judge hand down a landmark ruling. Contrast this with the behavior of Additional District and Sessions Judge Nizar Ali Khawaja on March 25, 2009 in Karachi. The judge asked 15-year-old gang rape survivor Kainat Soomro to describe her rape in front of the accused who had reportedly threatened and bribed Somroo’s family to reach an out-of-court settlement.
Before 80 spectators, the defense attorney and the judge asked a series of invasive questions about the rape. He was asked when certain clothes were taken from him, exactly what actions were done to him and when. When Kainat replied that she couldn’t remember why she fainted, the judge reprimanded her. This is what rape survivors have to deal with when they take their rapists to court.
Recent rulings by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ayesha Malik call for an end to gender stereotyping of rape survivors and a focus on the crime. Justice Malik linked the rape cases to the constitutional rights to life and dignity. These rulings are reflected in laws such as the Rape Investigation and Trials Act of 2021, which aim to create a fair legal framework for rape survivors.
Despite such progressive laws, in reality rape survivors and their families face problems due to misogynistic mentalities and institutional apathy. Case No 9 sets a precedent for court etiquette and how rape cases should be handled from the initial stages of the police report and medical examination. Legal challenges, filing of FIR, vital importance of preserving evidence, hiring of lawyers, court proceedings and recent changes in the law have been highlighted.
Small nuances dot the series; for example, when the principled SP comes out of his bedroom to take action against Kamran for raping Seher, the camera focuses on the SP’s wife hugging and hugging their little daughter. No words are spoken. Then there is Ali Rehman Khan as Seher’s ex-husband, who supports her to the core and hopes to renew their relationship. Seher kindly tells him to go and live his life. Seher is her own heroine and doesn’t need a messiah.
Case number 9 shows the power of female camaraderie and the emancipated women who support Seher: her lawyer Beenish, her friend Manisha, her best friend in Canada and Kamran’s wife Kiran, who ultimately provided the crucial evidence. While men have a brother code, it is heartwarming to see women come together and move mountains with their dedication and conviction.
The legendary Saba Qamar, Faysal Qureshi, Amina Sheikh and Gohar Rasheed lived their roles, but the revelation was the excellence of the supporting cast. A taut and sensitive script by Shahzeb Khanzada without irritating fillers stood out; each actor played an essential role in moving the story forward. Naveen Waqar and Junaid Khan were magnificent as Manisha and Rohan, Kamran’s friends, as was Rushna Khan as Kiran, Kamran’s wife: all three faced moral dilemmas that they overcame.
An interesting technique was the insertion of Shahzeb Khanzada’s show into the series where Seher and Kamran face each other. Trusting the credibility of the program, he gave authenticity to the facts, as well as the alarming statistics and graphs on rape and sexual assault that Shahzeb highlighted. “When a woman says no, it means no” and “educate your children better” were two vital messages from her.
Our group of four watched case number 9 in rapt silence: tea was drank in silence, the phones were silenced, and the children were silent. After each episode, there were serious conversations about what we had just witnessed on screen. My mother and many of my friends said they had learned a lot from Case No. 9 and they are not the only ones. The impact of this series will go a long way in disrupting the conspiracy of silence and misogynistic mindset around sexual assault that has prevailed for far too long in Pakistan.
The writer is an author, journalist and agent of change. She can be contacted at: [email protected]
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of PakGazette.tv.
Originally published in The News
