Mukhtaran Mai bravely chose to undertake case in the court of law despite numerous attempts to thwart her
KARACHI: The recent resurfacing of Mukhtaran Mai’s case is a dark reminder of the struggle women go through in countries like Pakistan to acquire justice. Mai was gang-raped in June 2002, upon the order of a village panchayat as punishment for her brother’s relationship with a girl from an opposing tribe.
In a first, Mai bravely chose to undertake the case in the court of law despite numerous attempts to thwart her. The legal battle against the 13 originally accused persons is still going on with the latest hearing to be held on March 27 in the Supreme Court.
When a rape incident occurs in Pakistan, the victim is shamed and ostracised more than the perpetrator, leading many victims to not even report the incident, let alone campaign for justice in the wake of the atrocity they have suffered. Reports show that from 2014 to 2017, of the 10,000 cases reported in Punjab alone, the conviction rate was as low as 3%.
Mai dared to publicly speak against the atrocity at local and then international level, which led to her being branded as anti-Pakistan by various people in power. Despite all the hurdles and the time it has taken, this brave woman continues to fight for justice. A prominent case as hers will set a precedent in rape cases, and hopefully act as a deterrent for the crime, just like the ruling on Zainab’s case did.
Anam Shafqat
Published in The Express Tribune, March 7th, 2019.
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