WASHINGTON, June 21: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice secured a personal pledge from Pakistan that Mukhtaran Mai will be allowed to visit the United States, officials said on Tuesday.

The State Department revealed Rice’s personal intervention in the now famous case, after The New York Times reported that the Pakistani government still had Mai’s passport, despite lifting a ban on her travelling last week.

Top Pakistani officials maintained there had been no US pressure in the case of Mai. However, State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said on Tuesday the issue was raised last Thursday by Ms Rice, in a telephone call with Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri.

“Secretary Rice made it clear that Mai was welcome to come to the United States at any time and that we were looking to the government of Pakistan to ensure that she was free to travel whenever she wanted,” he said.

“The government of Pakistan has committed itself to that and therefore it is our expectation that should Mukhtaran Mai want to travel, to come to the United States, there will be no obstacles presented to her to do so,” Mr Ereli said.—AFP