'Passport pledge' to rape victim

June 22, 2005 - (BBC) Pakistani gang rape victim Mukhtar Mai says the government has offered her passport back after controversially restricting her right to travel.

Ms Mai, raped allegedly on the orders of a tribal council in 2002, has fought a high-profile campaign for justice.

The Supreme Court hears the case on Monday and officials said Ms Mai had to stay in the country until then.

The US called the travel restrictions "outrageous" and asked Pakistan to allow her to visit the US.

Condemnation
Ms Mai said she had received a telephone call from Nilofar Bakhtiar, women's affairs adviser to the prime minister, saying the government was prepared to send her passport back.

"I will consider going abroad after the hearing of my appeal."
Mukhtar Mai

Ms Mai, now a human rights activist, told her she would prefer to collect the passport when she visited Islamabad.

"I told her that I am not in a hurry now to get my passport because I will not be travelling to America since the Supreme Court is taking up my appeal on 27 June," Ms Mai said.

"But I will consider going abroad after the hearing of my appeal."

Monday's hearing will rule on an earlier court decision to acquit five men and reduce the death sentence of a sixth to life imprisonment.

The ruling brought international condemnation.

Pakistani police then detained 12 men linked to the case, including the five acquitted.

They remain in detention despite a lower court ruling they be released. Their appeal will also be heard by the Supreme Court.

Human rights activists accused the Pakistani government of preventing Ms Mai from leaving the country out of fear that her presence in the US would damage Pakistan's image.

President Pervez Musharraf has said the case is tarnishing Pakistan's image as a moderate Muslim nation overseas.

On Tuesday, the US Department of State said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had secured a pledge from Pakistan to allow Ms Mai to visit the United States and address rights activists.

Pakistan denied it had "caved in" over its treatment of Ms Mai because of US pressure.

"There is absolutely no pressure as far as this particular case is concerned," foreign ministry spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani said.

History
The case has had many twists:

2002: Six men sentenced to death, eight acquitted

March 2005 - Lahore High Court acquits five men, and reduces death sentence on sixth to life in prison

March 2005 - Sharia court suspends Lahore High Court decision

March 2005 - Prime Minister Aziz orders re-arrest of four of the accused

March 2005 - Punjab government arrests 12 men originally implicated in case, including five acquitted

June 2005 - Lahore High Court says 12 men must be released.

From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4118624.stm