All but one acquitted in Mukhtaran case

Pakistan

All but one acquitted in Mukhtaran case

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Mukhtaran was assaulted on the order of a village court in 2002.

21 April,2011 11:01 am

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Shakirullah Jan, on Monday upheld the decision of the LHC and acquitted all the accused except one in the Mukhtaran Mai rape case.Mukhtaran was raped in 2002 on the order of a panchayat in the name of honour.At least 18 accused were nominated in the case, among them eight were acquitted by a trial court and six were sentenced to death.Later, the LHC acquitted five accused and converted the death sentence of an accused, Abdul Khaliq, into life imprisonment.The then chief justice of Pakistan, Nazim Hussain Siddiqui, on March 14, 2005 took suo motu notice of the decision, and ordered the arrest of all the accused.The federal government and Mukhtaran had also filed petitions in the apex court against the LHC decision. The case remained pending for six years.Renowned lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan appeared as Mukhtaran’s counsel.