Mukhtaran Mai’s village: Villagers welcome acquitted men

Jubilant villagers welcome the homecoming of those once accused of gang rape.

JATOI:

There were celebrations in Mukhataran Mai’s village on Thursday but not in support of the rape victim. Jubilant villagers welcomed the homecoming of those once accused of gang rape.

The acquitted men of the Mastoi clan returned to Moza Ram village, some 18 kilometres from here, after spending almost nine years in jail. Family and friends were ecstatic on the release and distributed traditional sweets in the area.

Mai, now 40, was gang raped in June 2002 in Meerwala town of Punjab as punishment after her younger brother was wrongly accused of having illicit relations with a woman from a rival clan. The boy was 12-years-old at the time.

The men accused by Mai said though they had been acquitted, they fear of being implicated in another fabricated case on the whims of Mai, who has become “a powerful and influential woman of international fame”.

Some journalists, who also sided with the Mastoi men, said the former accused had been trapped for vested interests, but the decision of the apex court had dismantled all “conspiracies.”

While some members of the family and the guests offered special prayers of thanks for the release, some old women cursed Mai for her “bad deeds”.

“Mai and some other selfish NGOs are openly committing contempt of court,” said Faiz Muhammad acquitted by the courts of the gang rape.

Faiz Muhammad Mastoi, Allah Ditta Mastoi, Muhammad Saleem and Faiz Baksh – among those released – said that God is their evidence and they did not commit such a crime. “What wrong have we and our poor children done to the organisations who claim to be the champions of human rights,” they said.

“We should complain about being pushed behind bars without any reason. Our women and children had to do without all the worldly needs.  Meanwhile, Mukhtaran Mai, who not only defamed Pakistan, but also our religion, Islam, became a millionaire,” Faiz Muhammad claimed.

Meanwhile, in a visit to Quetta, US Ambassador Cameron Munter expressed disappointment over the acquittal of the accused in Mukhtaran Mai’s gang rape case.

“The government should ensure the security of Mukhtaran Mai as the Supreme Court said that violating the sanctity and chastity of a woman is a sordid , despicable and squalid act which is considered abhorrent in any civilised society” Munter said in a statement issued by the US embassy.

“I admire her courage for speaking up about the crime,” he said.

Munter also appreciated Mai’s commitment to her work, inspiring and educating Pakistani women about their fundamental rights.

The US ambassador also earlier called on the Speaker of the Balochistan Assembly, Muhammad Aslam Bhotani in Quetta. The leaders of the parliamentary parties in the Balochistan Assembly were also present on the occasion. Various matters including the political situation of Balochistan came under discussion during the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2011.