The Saba Qamar–starrer Case No.9 has delivered one of its most hard-hitting 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 home for five days after being raped, as her family tries to keep the incident from leaking out. The episode captures the suffocating silence and moral policing that often follow cases of sexual assault, not only from society, but from within the home itself.
When Saad’s friend Maryam visits and learns that Sehar has been confined, the family’s hypocrisy, despite their education and social status, is laid bare. Maryam confronts Sehar’s brother, asking him to stop blaming the victim. She reminds him that Sehar could not have known the rapist’s family would be away when she went to their house.
Her decision to speak up breaks through the silence that surrounds most such cases. Yet instead of reflecting on her words, the family turns their frustration towards Sehar once again, angry that their so-called honour has been challenged rather than recognising the injustice she has faced.
The scene is not just a dramatic turning point but a commentary on how families and communities fail rape victims, forcing them into isolation instead of offering support and justice.
Case No.9 follows the story of Sehar Moazzam (Saba Qamar), a woman in search of 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 also featuring in the ensemble cast.
Written by journalist Shahzeb Khanzada and directed by Syed Wajahat Hussain, Case No.9 has been created by 7th Sky Entertainment for Geo Entertainment and produced by Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi.