Shahnaz Gul

Shahnaz Gul was born in 1944. She grew up in Gujranwala in a wealthy, conservative family descended from Afghan nobility that had migrated from Ludhiana during the Partition of India. She was known for her striking physical beauty, with "alabaster-like skin, perfect features, wavy hair". They lived in Karachi and had two daughters, Mahenaz Khanum and Mehrnaz Khanum. == The Mustafa Zaidi incident ==

In the late 1960s, Gul and the prominent poet and civil servant Mustafa Zaidi met at an elite club in Karachi. == Trial and later life ==

Shahnaz Gul was charged with murder in connection with Zaidi's death, leading to a highly publicized trial that captivated the Pakistani public. After her acquittal, Gul resumed attending social events but never spoke to the press. Her husband, Saleem Khan, stood by her throughout the ordeal. The authors of a book about the scandal spoke to one of her daughters, who did not wish to participate in the project. == Personal life ==

She married Saleem Khan and the couple had two daughters. == Death ==

She died in 2010 from ovarian cancer in Karachi ,Pakistan and details of her death were kept private by her family. == In Popular Culture ==

• The 2021 book Society Girl: A Tale of Sex, Lies, and Scandal by Saba Imtiaz and Tooba Masood-Khan, and its accompanying podcast Notes on a Scandal, provide a detailed investigation into the case and use it to explore the social history of 1970s Pakistan. • The Urdu play "Main Adakara Nahin" (I am not an actress) also references the trial and the societal reaction to Shahnaz Gul. == References ==