[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14277]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              MUKHTAR MAI

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 24, 2005

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I rise today to address the safety and 
well-being of Ms. Mukhtar Mai in the nation of Pakistan. As the Co-
Chair of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus I have been monitoring this 
situation closely. As a long-standing and active member of the Women's 
Caucus and the Human Rights Caucus I am greatly concerned about the 
well-being of this woman who has undergone tremendous suffering in her 
life.
  For those who do not know the story of Mukhtar Mai she was gang raped 
in 2002 by the order of a tribal council, allegedly as punishment for 
her brother's affair with a woman from a powerful rival clan in the 
remote town of Meerwala. Thirty-three-year-old Ms. Mai defied threats 
and local customs to testify against these suspects. In August of 2002 
six men were sentenced to death. But this March, another court 
overturned five of these convictions and reduced the death sentence of 
the sixth to life in prison. Twelve men were then rearrested on the 
Prime Minister's orders based on community safety laws but were freed 
on June 10 since the law only allows them to be held for a limited time 
under these laws. Since that time it has been alleged that the 
Pakistani government has confiscated her passport and forbidden her 
from leaving Pakistan.
  It has come to my attention that efforts have been made by the 
Pakistani Government to insure the safety and well-being of Ms. Mai. I 
understand that since this horrific incident occurred in 2002 she has 
been provided with a security detail and legal assistance in accordance 
with their laws. However, the judiciary in Pakistan, as it is here in 
the United States, is independent of the executive branch of the 
government. The decision made by the court seems ill-considered and is 
not supported by the Executive branch. It seems that the government 
plans to have these accused rapists arrested and tried again, this time 
before the High Court of Pakistan in accordance with their laws.
  Representatives from the Government of Pakistan say that they have 
not in fact barred Ms. Mai from traveling where she pleases and that 
she has access to her passport at any time. State Department spokesman 
Adam Ereli stated on Wednesday that ``senior Pakistani officials, both 
here and in Islamabad'' had been contacted regarding Mukhtar Mai and 
that the State Department has ``been informed by the Government of 
Pakistan that, consistent with Ms. Mukhtar's wishes and at her request, 
the Government has her passport and that she is satisfied that she can 
have access to it whenever she wants.'' Moreover, they have ``received 
renewed assurances from the Pakistani authorities that she is free to 
travel whenever she so desires.'' Mr. Ereli went on to say that they 
have confirmed this with sources close to Ms. Mai. I have also been 
told that Ms. Mai has appeared on certain TV and satellite outlets and 
declared that she in fact has not been barred from leaving the country; 
however I have not personally seen such footage so I can not confirm 
its validity.
  The current Government of Pakistan has tried to rule by a vision of 
``enlightened moderation,'' which is to say that the people of Pakistan 
must raise themselves up through individual achievement and 
socioeconomic emancipation. One issue which the present government has 
worked hard to improve is that of women's rights. Currently, there are 
73 female members of the National Assembly which has 60 seats open only 
for women to ensure that they are represented on their legislative 
body. Similarly, 17 percent of seats in each of the four provincial 
assemblies have also been reserved for women. In addition, I spoke to 
the Pakistani Minister of Education a few months and he told me that 
the national plan for education on Pakistan places great emphasis on 
ensuring that their female population gets educated. In fact they are 
working to provide incentives to poorer families in Pakistan to send 
their girls to school instead of keeping them at home. These are all 
steps the Pakistani Government under President Musharraf says they are 
taking to advance the cause of women in Pakistan.
  However, there is much, much more work to be done in this area to 
ensure women's rights. The truth about Pakistan is that there is a 
great divide between more urban and more rural communities. Mukhtar Mai 
comes from a more remote area of Pakistan in which tribal law and 
customs are often held above the law of Pakistan. These tribal areas 
unfortunately often hold harsh views towards the rights of women. One 
of the great heroes of Pakistani independence was Fatima Jinnah who is 
considered the mother of Pakistan. She was the outspoken and strong-
willed sister of Mohammed Ali Jinnah who is considered the founder of 
Pakistan. In fact, Pakistan had the first woman to head the government 
of an Islamic State when Benazir Bhutto was sworn in as Prime Minister 
of Pakistan in December of 1988. The truth remains that Pakistan must 
ensure the rights and safety of women throughout their nation 
regardless of tribal law and customs. However, we must also recognize 
that such large social change takes time and will not be solved easily.
  Regardless of the political or international ramifications of this 
issue let us not forget the pain that Mukhtar Mai has endured. But, 
while she was brutally victimized she did not allow herself to be a 
victim. After testifying against her attackers she took the money from 
that settlement along with many international donations to open a 
school in her small village. She understands that education is the way 
to end brutality and ignorance. She even went so far as to enroll the 
children of her attackers in the school because she will not allow 
herself to be a hateful person, she wants to bring goodness into the 
lives of others around her. The verdicts of her attackers being 
overturned were a great setback for her personally and the entire 
women's rights movement in Pakistan, but it certainly is not the end. 
This woman has gone through so much and done such great things that she 
will not give in. I applaud her, she is the face and voice of a 
movement that gains strength everyday, one that will not succumb. In 
tribute to her efforts I will continue to fight for the cause of 
women's rights and join with Mukhtar Mai and all the women of Pakistan 
to move forward towards justice and equality.
  Furthermore, I have always supported the message of women's rights 
whether it is here or abroad, whether I have to deliver it to an ally 
of our nation or one we consider an enemy. Additionally, I join with 
the women of the United States House of Representatives to unite around 
protecting women throughout the world and in Pakistan. Today, I believe 
that the nation of Pakistan must do more to ensure the rights of 
Pakistani women and I have confidence that they are working towards 
this end. I pray for Mukhtar Mai and all the women of Pakistan that 
they will get justice in their lives.