KARACHI: A secret cable of 2006 has revealed some serious problems within the local community being instigated by Mukhtaran’s family in her home district of Mianwalli, WikiLeaks disclosed. The cable was written by US Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker and sent to Washington.
The cable by the US ambassador refers to a report by six credible Pakistani NGOs that are also well-known to the Embassy and have ongoing programs in Mukhtaran’s district.
These once-strong Mukhtaran supporters claim that, due to her international celebrity and significantly increased donor-provided resources, she and her family have become significant power brokers in their local community.
Her brother, Hazoor Bakhsh, has become involved in local politics on behalf of the family and is now accorded the same respect as traditional tribal elders. While the civil society community initially viewed Mukhtaran’s increased involvement in local affairs as a source for change, they are increasingly concerned that she and her family are simply replicating traditional abuses of power.
On June 21, Mukhtaran’s brother Hazoor Bakhsh convened a panchayat (traditional court) to review the case of a nine-year old girl who was raped by three local individuals. According to civil society activists, Mai had urged her brother to deal with the case through a panchayat rather than the formal legal system, arguing that the courts would not properly deal with the rapists.
At the panchayat, Bakhsh utilized his position and authority to order that the fifteen year old sister of one of the rapists, Faizan, be handed over in marriage to rape victim’s father, Rasool Bakhsh, as compensation. Rasool tortured Faizan who was rescued by her father and brother one day after her marriage.
Civil society groups claimed that during the same panchayat, Hazoor Bakhsh, issued an order acquiting five people from a neighboring village of the kidnap and rape of two sisters. Sources claim that despite promising the sister’s justice at the panchayat, Hazoor Bakhsh took a Rs60,000 bribe for their acquittal and ruled against the sisters — effectively finding them guilty of illicit sexual relations.
Mukhtaran’s has repeatedly denied her brother’s involvement in the panchayat claiming that the allegations were “politically motivated.” She has cited her brother’s omission from the police report filed on the panchayat as evidence of his innocence. Civil society sources, however, assert that Hazoor Bakhsh and Mukhtaran bribed local police to keep his name out of the report.
