March 10, 2007	Saturday	Safar 20, 1428

MUKHTAR Mai, who is incorrectly referred to as Mukhtaran Mai, left for her hometown, Meerwala on Friday after yet another tiresome encounter with a media that keeps probing her past despite the fact that it has been a long time since that tragic incident.

She feels its time people stop asking insensitive questions. She admits that such questions are nerve-wrecking. “I am a human being and at times get irritated by monotonous questions asking what happened. Abroad, the media is considerate and first takes permission about the questions they want to ask, and secondly, they do not rekindle my past”, said Mukhtar Mai. She is more comfortable answering questions about her latest projects than her past.

Mukhtar Mai came to Karachi on Wednesday afternoon. Talking about International Women’s Day she said she didn’t know about it even when she was invited to attend the programme. Slightly uneasy with the makeup applied to her by some TV channel she said to make law and order better, the law enforcement agencies must help victims not harass them. She said education was important for women and men too otherwise they would become oppressors in society.

Mukhtar has established three schools in her area where 700 children are studying. “Many people don’t enrol their children in our school saying they do not think her schools are proper for their children especially girls” said Naseem, a close friend of Mukhtar Mai. Interestingly, Mai who is uneducated also attendsclasses in her school and is in class fifth. She in fact signed a couple of her books too on which she inscribed her name as Mukhtar Bibi. She has also established a shelter for destitute women where they are provided medical, legal and emotional support.

Sharing a light moment with some women journalists, she said she too wished to be married and have a family. If it had not been for Mukhtar Mai those jirgas would still be ruining the lives of innocent girls in the name of honour. She is a beacon of hope for many girls.