Pakistan: Mukhtar Mai – a rape victim in search of justice

DESPITE ALL the claims of the present Musharraf regime, women are still
facing a horrific situation in Pakistan.

Rukhsana Manzoor, Lahore, Socialist Movement Pakistan (CWI in Pakistan)

Domestic violence, sexual harassment, rape, inequality, injustice, and
discrimination are the realities of everyday life. Conditions are especially
dreadful in the feudal and tribal areas.

On 3 March 2005, the Lahore High Court Multan Bench shocked the whole
nation with its verdict on the case of a young woman, Mukhtar Mai, who was
raped. The court freed five men convicted of rape by the Anti-Terrorist Court.

According to the judges, the evidence failed to prove that gang-rape
actually took place and the counsel for the victim could not prove that a
Panchayat (local elders council) was even remotely implicated in this dreadful
act. The ‘learned’ judges also criticised the police for incorrect
investigation and inefficiency.

This verdict has reminded people throughout Pakistan once again of this
barbaric incident, in which four men gang-raped 35-year old Mukhtar Mai for
hours on the orders of a Panchayat in Meer Wala village in the district of
Muzzafar Gar in Southern Punjab in June 2002.

Mukhtar was working in her house, when the Panchayat ordered her father to
bring her to them to "apologise" on behalf of her brother who was accused of
having an affair with the daughter of a rich, feudal family. When she was
brought to the Panchayat, the village elders ordered her to be raped in order
to restore the ‘pride’ and ‘honour’ of the family who brought the case.

This case caught the attention of the international media and human rights
organisations, which forced the government to take action against the accused
and the members of the Panchayat. The Anti-Terrorist Court passed a death
sentence on the six accused.

Widespread violence

The Seraiki-speaking belt of Southern Punjab is notorious for these
incidents and horrific crimes against women, particularly those from a poor
background.

Three months ago, in another district of South Punjab called Vehari, 13 men
raped a girl for similar reasons given for the action taken against Mukhtar
Mai.

According to police records, 580 women were raped in the first six months
of 2004 in Southern Punjab. 24 were maimed by acid attacks, 634 abducted and
sexually molested and 115 were killed after rape or during resistance against
attack. These are just the reported cases – the vast majority of cases are of
course never brought to the police.

Socialist Movement Pakistan (SMP) Central Committee member and a peasant
leader Dr. Aashiq Zafar Bhatti has been at the forefront of the struggle to
get justice in this case and others.

He was among the few courageous people, who raised his voice in support of
Mukhtar Mai from the platform of AIMS Organisation (a civil society
organization working against domestic and sexual violence against women). He
mobilised hundreds of people, especially women, against the verdict of the
High Court.

The Socialist Movement Pakistan, with the help of other organizations,
organised a seminar and demonstration in which 500 people participated, the
majority of whom were women. Some NGOs organised a protest rally in Multan on
7 March, in which Socialist Movement members participated.

SMP campaign

When they raised the issue and criticised the court verdict, the High Court
judge issued a contempt of court notice to 14 of the participants, which also
included two SMP members. Despite that contempt notice, SMP members organised
an International Women’s Day seminar on 8 March in Jatoi. More than 250 women
participated in this seminar.

SMP members played a key role in organising a public meeting in front of
Mukhtar Mai’s house in Meer Walla, Jatoi, to show solidarity and support with
her. More than 4,000 people were mobilised for this public meeting. This
meeting was covered widely by the international and national media.

SMP members also sold copies of their paper, The Socialist, and other
material. The SMP is the only left organisation directly involved in this
campaign and also campaigning against the Hudood Laws (oppressive,
discrimatory laws against women) – for example SMP members in Muzafar Gar
organised a march and seminar against these laws on 16 March in which 300
people participated.

Despite having small forces, the SMP is playing a vital role on the issues
of women, poor farmers and other oppressed sections of society in this very
underdeveloped and feudal-dominated area.

This rape case has exposed the whole judicial system and the corrupt
practices of the police and local influential feudal lords. There is no safe
future on the basis of capitalism and feudalism for working class women in
Pakistan. The overthrow of this rotten system is urgent. Only socialism can
provide a way forward for women, workers and poor peasantry of Pakistan.