Notes on a Scandal

ADVISORY: This episode contains mentions of suicide. Listener discretion is advised.
How do you connect the dots of a story where so much is missing? Why is there blood at the crime scene? And why did Shahnaz remain unconscious all night -- and is that even possible? Saba and Tooba attempt to understand the forensic investigation into Mustafa Zaidi's death with Dr Summaiya Syed Tariq, the Additional Police Surgeon at Karachi's Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Hospital and a forensic consultant.
This episode features condensed quotes from an interview with Dr Summaiya Syed Tariq.
Photo: Afkar, Mustafa Zaidi edition. From the Bedil Library archive in Karachi.

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Tooba Masood-Khan
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Saba Imtiaz
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On the penultimate episode of this season — and the podcast — Saba and Tooba continue tracking the proceedings against Shahnaz Gul in a district court in Karachi, taking place while the country was engulfed in war. In 1972, a verdict is announced in the case of the State vs Shahnaz Gul. For the finale, we invite questions and thoughts about the season and its themes. If there’s anything you’d like to share about your knowledge of the case or if you just have a conspiracy theory — send in your questions and thoughts on Twitter and Instagram.
Photo: Star newspaper, October 9, 1971. Courtesy Dawn Library

Thank you for listening! Find us on Instagram and Twitter:
Instagram: @murdermystery70
Tooba Masood-Khan
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Saba Imtiaz
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Instagram: @sabaimtiaz

ADVISORY: This episode contains scenes of a distressing nature. Listener discretion is advised.
In November 1970, nearly a month after Mustafa Zaidi died, his body was exhumed for a second medical examination, all in a quest for doctors and police officials to figure out: how did Mustafa Zaidi die? What could they find that could help them build a case against their suspect in custody, Shahnaz Gul? Saba and Tooba discuss the dramatic and surreal events of the exhumation, and recall their quest to find Mustafa's grave in Karachi in 2019.
The images described in the episode can be viewed on Instagram @murdermystery70

Thank you for listening! Find us on Instagram and Twitter:
Instagram: @murdermystery70
Tooba Masood-Khan
Twitter: @tabahitooba
Instagram: @tabahitooba
Saba Imtiaz
Twitter: @sabaimtiaz
Instagram: @sabaimtiaz

We take a look at the frenzied hours after the arrest of Shahnaz Gul, and how the police in Karachi, Pakistan handled the initial investigation. Later in the episode, we talk to the academic Dr Zoha Waseem, the author of Insecure Guardians: Enforcement, Encounters and Everyday Policing in Postcolonial Karachi, about perceptions of the Karachi police, how they handle cases involving the elite, and the social dynamics at play in a complex investigation like the Mustafa Zaidi case.

About Dr Waseem:

Dr Zoha Waseem is an Assistant Professor in Criminology at the University of Warwick, UK. She is also co-coordinator for the Urban Violence Research Network. Her book Insecure Guardians critically explores how security policies, and the interests of insecure states and elites, influence the culture of policing in postcolonial contexts.
Photo: 'The Many Faces of Shahnaz -- in court yesterday' published in Star newspaper, January 1, 1971. Courtesy: Dawn archives

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Instagram: @murdermystery70
Tooba Masood-Khan
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Saba Imtiaz
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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.

Thank you for listening! Find us on Instagram and Twitter:
Instagram: @murdermystery70
Tooba Masood-Khan
Twitter: @tabahitooba
Instagram: @tabahitooba
Saba Imtiaz
Twitter: @sabaimtiaz
Instagram: @sabaimtiaz