Sharmeen film subject Saba Qaiser gets new support

Business tycoon Mian Mohammad Mansha and Naaz Mansha of Nishat Group are collaborating with multiple award-winning production house SOC Films to support Saba Qaiser, the a victim of an attempted “honour killing”.

Qaiser was the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary A Girl in the River – The Price of Forgiveness, directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

The Manshas worked with SOC Films to get rehabilitative support for Qaiser, who was forced to leave her family home after being targeted in an attempted “honour killing” by her father and uncle. They aided in constructing a new home for Qaiser in Gujranwala, where she along with her husband will resettle.

Speaking about Qaiser, Mian said: “Saba’s story is very tragic and one that, as a father and grandfather, affected me deeply. In a country where it’s incredibly disheartening to see honour killings become so commonplace, Saba’s story is one of resilience, perseverance and the ability to overcome. When we heard about her story, my wife Naz and I immediately decided that we needed to reach out to SOC Films and see how best we could lend our support to Saba and her cause. We are delighted to be able to support Saba in her new life and hope that she’s able to start afresh in her new home.”

Obaid-Chinoy said: “Saba’s story is singularly unique as she is one of the few victims of honour killings who survived her ordeal and lived to tell her tale, but not without being left scarred, both physically and emotionally. I am very grateful to Mr and Mrs Mansha for lending their valuable support to Saba and in assisting her in the construction and development of a new home where she can begin her life anew. Their support will go a long way towards helping Saba retake control of her life, allowing her the opportunity for a more hopeful and positive future.”

A Girl in the River – The Price of Forgiveness is about the how Qaiser, a then 18-year-old, fell in love with and married a man who her family did not approve of. For this, her father and uncle kidnapped her from the home of her husband, drove her to a riverbank, shot her in the head, placed her in a sack and threw her in the river. Qaiser is one of more than 1,000 women targeted in “honour killings” every year in Pakistan, but unlike most of those victims, Qaiser survived.