Pak Supreme Court acquits five of six accused in Mukhtaran Mai gang rape case

Islamabad, April 21(ANI): Pakistan's Supreme Court has acquitted five of the six accused in the Mukhtaran Mai gang rape case.

A three-member bench of the apex court upheld the verdict of the Lahore High Court (LHC) in the case on Thursday.

Talking to Geo News, Mukhtaran Mai expressed deep sorrow over the Supreme Court verdict, and said that she would consult her counsel over filing a review appeal.

On 22 June, 2002, Mukhtaran Mai, a resident of Meerwala village, was gang raped on the orders of a village council in the name of honour in Tehsil Jatoi of Muzaffargarh district.

It was reported that the influential local Mastoi tribe had convened the jirga to seek punishment for her 12-year-old brother.

Initially, fourteen accused were nominated in the case, out of which eight were acquitted, while remaining six were awarded death sentences by the trial court.

Later, the LHC acquitted five of them and converted the death sentence of one accused into life term, after which the Supreme Court took suo moto notice, while victim Mukhtaran Mai and an accused- Abdul Khaliq- also filed petitions in the apex court. (ANI)

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