ISLAMABAD, 17 September 2005 — Pakistanis, mostly women, condemned President Pervez Musharraf yesterday for saying that rape has become a “moneymaking concern” with some Pakistanis believing it was a ticket to settling abroad.

Musharraf, who is at the UN summit this week, was referring to the case of Mukhtaran Mai.

“It was shocking to read that Gen. Musharraf had publicly aired his low opinion of women...,” opposition MP Sherry Rehman said about Musharraf’s comments in an interview with the Washington Post this week.

“This is very frivolous way of looking at rape cases in the country,” human rights activist Kamila Hyat said.

Outrage mounted abroad also yesterday over Musharraf’s comment that many Pakistanis felt that crying rape was an easy way to make money and move to Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin has already condemned the remarks made by Musharraf, who is in the United States having addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.

London-based rights group Amnesty International said Musharraf should apologize, and newspapers back home decried their leader’s attitude.

Musharraf told the Washington Post in an interview published Tuesday that Pakistan should not be singled out on rape issues as other countries had the same problems.

“You must understand the environment in Pakistan ... This has become a money-making concern. A lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire, get yourself raped,” the Post quoted Musharraf as saying.

Dawn, Pakistan’s leading English-language daily, rounded on Musharraf in an editorial headlined “Wrong thing to say”.

“If this attitude, of blaming rape and other crimes against women on women themselves and ridiculing NGOs (non-government organizations) that take up such issues, begins to travel upward from ignorant mullahs and male chauvinists to permeate the higher echelons of the administration, then God help us,” it said.

Amnesty International said it was outraged at the remarks by Musharraf, who is due to address an audience of Pakistani-American women in New York today.

“This callous and insulting statement requires a public apology from president Musharraf to the women of Pakistan and especially to victims of rape, sexual assault and other forms of violence that are rampant with impunity in Pakistan,” the group said in a statement issued on Thursday.

“His statement is an offense to women all over the world.” Musharraf, according to reports, told a news conference in New York on Thursday that he had been expressing a commonly held opinion rather than his own.

Earlier, Canada’s Martin said he had raised the matter with the Pakistani leader during a meeting on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

Rape is prevalent particularly in rural areas of Pakistan, but media have recently become more active in following up stories since a gang rape generated massive publicity at home and abroad when the victim spoke out about her ordeal. Mukhtaran was gang-raped three years ago on the orders of a village council. — Additional input from agencies