Mukhtar Mai, a victim of Meerwala gang-rape, has said that she has no intention or aim to marry, as she has decided to devote her life and energies for the cause of oppressed women and education.
Talking to this correspondent on phone on Monday, she said: "now I am not alone, I am a representative of hundred thousands of "Mazloom" women and I have no aim to marry anyone. Her main objective is to spread education and help the women victims," she said.
She said that she would inform the press when she planned to adopt matrimonial life. To a question, she said that she had many offers for marriage not only from different parts of the country, but also from the United States.
Mukhtar Mai said that she was running a girls' primary school in her native village where more than 150 girls were studying. A boys' school is also running there where 132 boys are getting education.
"I have rekindled a candle of hope and knowledge to bring main changes in the mindset of the people of this area, who hate education, treat women like slaves and are still living in past," Mai said.
She said that this impression was absolutely misleading and wrong that she was earning bad name for the country, and said that it was merely propaganda to gag the "Mazloom" women's voice.
She said that women in Pakistan were still in trouble, and added that now she was known in the world as a symbol of courageous women.
She regretted that some vested interests were engaged in baseless propaganda against her, while some were describing her a millionaire lady.
She said even Punjab Minister Qudsia Lodhi claimed that Mukhtar Mai possessed Rs 300 million in her account.
She said:"I neither plundered the national coffers nor committed the dacoity nor sucked the blood of the poor people. I took initiative for the education of girls and donors had contributed for this sacred purpose."
She said that her accounts were checked many times by different agencies, but nothing was found objectionable. The government had constructed schools for boys and girls on the land acquired/purchased by her, she said, and added that these institutions were neither activated nor staff was posted in these schools.
Consequently, she had hired teaching staff and she was still paying the salaries of the teachers.
To a question, Mukhtar Mai said that a donor of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had offered to provide funds of rupees six million for up-gradation of primary schools. He had provided first instalment of Rs 0.6 million through Makhdoom Amin Faheem and the remaining amount would be paid to the construction company, "Ali Associates."
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