ISLAMABAD, 20 June 2005 — Pakistan’s Supreme Court is to take up for hearing on June 27 the case of gang-rape victim Mukhtaran Mai who has been stopped from going abroad, even as her perpetrators have been released.
Chief Justice-designate Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and judges Rana Bhagwandas and Saiyed Saeed Ashhad would take up two appeals, as also a two-month old Supreme Court notice relating to the case.
“Taking notice of reaction to the rape case of Mukhtaran Mai, The Supreme Court has decided to start sifting the facts to reach the truth,” Dawn reported yesterday, quoting court sources.
Mukhtaran had attracted international attention when her name was put on the exit control list (ECL) and her passport was seized to discourage her from visiting the US on the invitation of the Asian-American Network Against Abuse of Human Rights (ANAA).
She has challenged a Lahore High Court order acquitting the 12 men accused of raping her on the orders of a tribal council.
The Punjab government had also appealed the judgment in the Supreme Court.
On March 14, the Supreme Court had intervened to end an inter-court controversy in the case by staying separate orders of the Lahore High Court and the Federal Shariah Court (FSC) and deciding to hold its own hearing.
The Supreme Court took up the issue when the FSC suspended the high court’s acquittal of the convicts, saying this was without jurisdiction.
Taking notice of the case, then Chief Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui had summoned the entire record of the case from the high court and the FSC, while notices were served on Punjab Advocate General Aftab Iqbal and Mukhtaran.
Bailable arrest warrants were also issued against the accused who have been rearrested on the directions of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said he ordered that Mukhtaran be prevented from leaving for the United States, as he didn’t want the country’s image tarnished.
