In June 2002, Shaqoor, a 12 year old boy in Meerwala village of Muzzarfargarh district in Pakistan, was accused of illicit sex with a girl of the more powerful community of their village. In Meerwala, the Mastoi clan ruled the tribal council. Mastoi's were richer and powerful as opposed to the Tatla clan of the same village. Shaqoor was from the Tatla clan while the girl - Nasim was from the Mastoi.
The tribal council was outraged by the immodesty of the boy. Four Mastoi men abducted Shaqoor, took him to fields and sodomised him. Shaqoor's mother and sister begged the perpetrators to show some mercy. The matter went to the local tribal council dominated by the Mastoi's.
Shaqoor's family proposed Shaqoor's marriage to Nasim to settle the matter. The Mastoi's demanded that illicit sex be avenged by illicit sex. The Mastoi men who gathered around the council refused any other settlement. The powerful prevailed. Shaqoor's elder sister - Mukhtar Mai was dragged by the Mastoi men to a barn and raped several times by four men to avenge the honour of the Mastoi clan.
To add to her humiliation, Mukhtar Mai was also paraded naked in front of the entire village before her father wrapped a shawl around her and took her home. The family expected Mukhtar to end her life to end their trauma. Mukhtar did unthinkable. She went to the police station and filed a complaint.
Mukhtar was a timid, illiterate girl, who had never raised her voice in the family household. In June 2002, after being raped, when she could barely walk, she walked several kilometers to the nearby police station to file her complaint. She knew she was taking on a powerful clan. But in her heart, she knew she had nothing to lose. Mukhtar was determined to send the culprits to jail.
Her courage stood by her. The media took attention. The Chief Justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court called it the most heinous crime of the 21st century. The Pakistan government compensated her with 5 lakh rupees. And her story was picked up by all international news agencies. Mukhtar's one step of courage ensured that Pakistan took notice of her plight.
In 9 years since 2002, Mukhtar has opened a girls school in her village from the aid she got from Pakistan government. An illiterate Mukhtar got educated. She has also opened a centre to help other rape victims and continues to tour the world to share her story with audiences worldwide. She also broke the stigma and married a police constable from her own village in 2009. She wrote her memoir which has been translated into several languages abroad. And all this while, her legal battle against those who raped her continued. The matter progressed from the local court to the Lahore High Court till in 2005, the Supreme Court of Pakistan took a suo moto notice of the Lahore High Court's verdict. Lahore High Court had acquitted 5 out of the 6 accused. While 5 walked free, the 6th death penalty was reduced to life imprisonment.
Its been almost 9 years since that fateful day when Mukhtar was raped. On April 22nd this year, the same Supreme Court who called this 'the most heinous crime of the 21st century', acquitted 5 out of the 6 accused in the case. To add to her wounds, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, upheld Lahore High Court's judgement of awarding life imprisonment to the sixth accused instead of death penalty.
Even as the supreme court verdict has sparked off another debate in Pakistan, i only wonder if this is the end of the road for Mukhtar or will she, like last time, do the unthinkable? I wont comment on the state of affairs in Pakistan. For i think, that India too has a lot of introspection to do, when it comes to 'rape law'. I can only feel Mukhtar's pain. She might be wondering whether getting raped was worse or being denied justice? I only hope her country doesnt let her down.
The tribal council was outraged by the immodesty of the boy. Four Mastoi men abducted Shaqoor, took him to fields and sodomised him. Shaqoor's mother and sister begged the perpetrators to show some mercy. The matter went to the local tribal council dominated by the Mastoi's.
Shaqoor's family proposed Shaqoor's marriage to Nasim to settle the matter. The Mastoi's demanded that illicit sex be avenged by illicit sex. The Mastoi men who gathered around the council refused any other settlement. The powerful prevailed. Shaqoor's elder sister - Mukhtar Mai was dragged by the Mastoi men to a barn and raped several times by four men to avenge the honour of the Mastoi clan.To add to her humiliation, Mukhtar Mai was also paraded naked in front of the entire village before her father wrapped a shawl around her and took her home. The family expected Mukhtar to end her life to end their trauma. Mukhtar did unthinkable. She went to the police station and filed a complaint.
Mukhtar was a timid, illiterate girl, who had never raised her voice in the family household. In June 2002, after being raped, when she could barely walk, she walked several kilometers to the nearby police station to file her complaint. She knew she was taking on a powerful clan. But in her heart, she knew she had nothing to lose. Mukhtar was determined to send the culprits to jail.
Her courage stood by her. The media took attention. The Chief Justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court called it the most heinous crime of the 21st century. The Pakistan government compensated her with 5 lakh rupees. And her story was picked up by all international news agencies. Mukhtar's one step of courage ensured that Pakistan took notice of her plight.
In the name of honour - Mukhtar Mai's Memoir
In 9 years since 2002, Mukhtar has opened a girls school in her village from the aid she got from Pakistan government. An illiterate Mukhtar got educated. She has also opened a centre to help other rape victims and continues to tour the world to share her story with audiences worldwide. She also broke the stigma and married a police constable from her own village in 2009. She wrote her memoir which has been translated into several languages abroad. And all this while, her legal battle against those who raped her continued. The matter progressed from the local court to the Lahore High Court till in 2005, the Supreme Court of Pakistan took a suo moto notice of the Lahore High Court's verdict. Lahore High Court had acquitted 5 out of the 6 accused. While 5 walked free, the 6th death penalty was reduced to life imprisonment.
Its been almost 9 years since that fateful day when Mukhtar was raped. On April 22nd this year, the same Supreme Court who called this 'the most heinous crime of the 21st century', acquitted 5 out of the 6 accused in the case. To add to her wounds, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, upheld Lahore High Court's judgement of awarding life imprisonment to the sixth accused instead of death penalty.
Mukhtar is disappointed. Judiciary was her last hope.
