KARACHI, June 16: The Joint Action Committee for Peace (JAC) condemning the continuous harassment of Mukhtaran Mai by the government and mishandling of her case has demanded that she be allowed to move around freely and go anywhere, locally or internationally, like any normal citizen of the country.

In a statement issued here on Thursday Anis Haroon of the JAC, also strongly objected the drill of forcibly bringing the courageous survivor Mukhtaran to Islamabad and making her a hostage to the whims of Prime Minister’s Women Development Adviser Nelofer Bakhtiar. It said that Mukhtaran’s illegal confinement and her statement under duress was a shameful act.

Ms Haroon said that it was unbelievable that the rape victim was being pressured, intimidated and obstructed by the unelected women minister, which also exposed and contradicted the so-called enlightened moderation and democratic norms, constantly reiterated by President Musharraf.

She said that far from projecting the soft image of Pakistan such ill-advised and barbaric actions of intimidation not only served to reinforce the negative, stereotyped image of Pakistan abroad but further tarnished it.

The JAC also condemned the remarks made in the Senate by the two federal ministers — Dr Shahzad Waseem and Ms Bakhtiar — against the Pakistani NGOs and demanded that not only these remarks be expunged from the parliamentary record, but the ministers concerned should also publicly apologize to the NGOs, which were made target of the vicious remarks.