Mukhtaran to move Supreme Court against acquittal verdict

Perturbed by the decision of Lahore High Court (LHC) striking down a lower court decision which found the men guilty of raping Mukhtaran Mai, she said that she will file an appeal against this verdict in the Supreme Court. She was addressing a press conference on the decision of LHC in her case, in which five of the accused persons were acquitted while the court commuted the death sentence of a sixth man to life in prison in an appeal hearing in which the men pleaded not guilty.
The LHC decision in Mukhtaran Mai gang-rape case has sent shock waves throughout the country.
Human rights organisations and activists are stunned over the decision of the LHC. They said that the decision has made the people wonder about the meaning of justice in the country.
Mukhtar Mai said: "I am very unhappy over the decision of the LHC which released five of the rapist. Now my life is in danger as the culprits are landlords and influential people of the village."
She further demanded of the government to issue arrest warrants of the culprits and the decision of the special court should be upheld.
The Mukhtaran Mai case was under trial in a special anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Dera Ghazi Khan and it sentenced one person to death while other five accused were given life imprisonment.
Under the LHC recent decision, five culprits were freed and death penalty of the sixth was commuted to life imprisonment.
The Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have also expressed grave concern over the LHC decision to acquit five convicts out of six, who raped Mukhtaran Mai on the order of a village council in July 2002 in Meerwala, Muzaffargarh.
"If a woman whose case was so well publicised that it crossed boundaries of Pakistan and became well-know internationally cannot get justice then who in this country could hope to live with dignity and honour," statements issued by the NGOs said.
"We would like to express our resolve that civil society organisations are fully committed to the protection of human rights in the country and we will support her to file an appeal in the Supreme Court and will stand by her until justice is provided to her," NGOs maintained.