El Saba Qamar – protagonist Case No.9 has presented one of its most powerful episodes yet, portraying how rape victims are treated within their own families in Pakistan.
In episode 8, Sehar (played by Saba Qamar) is locked inside her house for five days after being raped, while her family tries to prevent the incident from being leaked. The episode captures the suffocating silence and moral policing that often follow cases of sexual assault, not only from society, but also within one’s own home.
When Saad’s friend Maryam visits him and learns that Sehar has been confined, the family’s hypocrisy, despite their education and social status, is exposed. Maryam confronts Sehar’s brother and asks him to stop blaming the victim. She reminds him that Sehar couldn’t have known that the rapist’s family would be away when she went to his house.
His decision to speak out breaks the silence that surrounds most of these cases. However, instead of reflecting on her words, the family directs their frustration at Sehar once again, angry that her supposed honor has been questioned rather than acknowledging the injustice she has faced.
The scene is not only a dramatic turning point, but a commentary on how families and communities fail rape victims, forcing them into isolation rather than offering them support and justice.
Case No.9 follows the story of Sehar Moazzam (Saba Qamar), a woman seeking justice after being sexually assaulted. The show stars Faysal Quraishi, Gohar Rasheed and Aamina Sheikh in key roles, with Junaid Khan, Rushna Khan, Hina Khawaja Bayat, Noorul Hassan, Navin Waqar, Azra Mohyeddin, Ali Rehman Khan, Shahnawaz Zaidi, Ahmed Randhawa, Zohreh Amir, Mizna Waqas, Kamran Jeelani and Faiza Gillani are also part of the cast.
Written by journalist Shahzeb Khanzada and directed by Syed Wajahat Hussain, Case No.9 has been created by 7th Sky Entertainment for PakGazette Entertainment and produced by Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi.
