Interior Minister Rehman Malik assured the National Assembly that the government would provide protection and legal assistance to Mukhtaran Mai, the victim of gang-rape, after Supreme Court upheld the Lahore High Court verdict of acquitting five of the six accused on Thursday.
Malik was responding to point of order raised by Pakistan People's Party (PPP) MNA, Sherry Rehman who urged President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani to provide security and also asked the government to file a review petition in the apex court for Mukhtaran Mai. "Prime Minister has given me the directives to provide security to the lady and the government would also extend whatsoever legal assistance she needs," the minister said.
When Sherry raised the point of order, Acting Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi while referring to rules of procedures of business the National Assembly, ruled that judgement of Supreme Court and High Courts could not be discussed in the House. Sherry, however, clarified that she did not intend to make comments on the apex court's judgment, adding she respects the courts of the country. She said that Mukhtara Mai was fighting for justice against her rapists for nine years, adding that the evidences that would assist the court were tampered at the behest of local influential of Muzaffargarh.
"While we need to review our system of police investigations, it is imperative that Shaheed Benazir Bhutto's government and the party stand up for the victim to assist her in the hour of need," she said, urging President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani to take urgent notice of the matter and instruct the Attorney General to take up the case on her behalf so that the women of the country have their confidence restored in the state.
She said that it was traumatic enough for a woman to report a rape, but in the particular case the victim was raped publicly. She expressed the hope that justice would prevail in the last appeal for the long-suffering woman. She also saluted Mukhara Mai for her courage and all those organisations who stood by her all these years.
Meanwhile, PPP-S chief, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, drew attention of the House towards the recovery of dead bodies of eight kidnapped tribesmen abducted along with 40 other people of Turi tribe from Bugan area of Lower Kurram Agency. He cautioned the government that the issue of Parachinar could become further complicated if pragmatic measures were not taken for maintaining law and order in the entire Kurram Agency.
Haider Abbas Rizvi of the MQM, while speaking on a point of order, asked the government to equally distribute the compensation money worth Rs 17 billion among the affectees of Diamir-Basha dam. Earlier, the House passed six amendments to the rules of procedure and conduct of business of National Assembly, 2007. The amendments in rules 154, 170, 175, 200, 202 and 244 (C) were moved by Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khursheed Shah. PML-N's Zahid Hamid, Anosha Rehman and Pervaiz Malik had proposed amendments to the rules but Hamid, while speaking did not press for the amendments and withdrew the same.
There is an insertion of sub-rule (7) in Rule 154 that "if a bill transmitted to the Senate is rejected or not passed within 90 days of its laying in the Senate, or is passed by the Senate with amendment but not passed by the Assembly with such amendment, any minister, in the case of government bill, or, in any other case, any member may, after giving two days notice, move that the bill be considered in a joint sitting."