Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a high court’s order acquitting five of the six men accused of raping Mukhtar Mai, who emerged as the symbol of a movement for women’s rights after she was gang-raped on the orders of a tribal council in 2002.

The Supreme Court — which had taken suo motu notice of the Lahore High Court’s verdict of 2005 and begun hearing the case — ordered that the accused who had been acquitted should be immediately freed if they were not wanted in any other cases.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Shakirullah Jan upheld the life sentence given to one of the accused, Abdul Khaliq.

Mai expressed disappointment at the apex court’s verdict, saying she no longer trusted Pakistan’s judicial system. “I have waited and endured problems for five years. If they had to give such a verdict, why did they cause me so many problems for five years? They need not have taken suo motu notice if they had to uphold the earlier judgment,” she told the media in her hometown of Meerwala in Punjab province.

Mai, who broke down and wept after hearing the apex court’s ruling, said she was undecided about appealing against the verdict. “I cannot say anything. I will consult my lawyer but I have no faith in any court now. I only have faith in God’s court,” she said.

“The release of the suspects has put my life in grave danger,” she said and acknowledged that the original FIR filed in 2002 against those accused of raping her may have had flaws but pointed out that she was illiterate at the time. “What is my fault in this? Why is the court punishing me?” she asked.

NGOs and civil society groups protested the Supreme Court’s decision, saying the verdict proves that no woman is safe in Pakistan.

Noted women’s rights activist Farzana Bari said the judicial process for handling rape is flawed and civil society groups would not accept the apex court’s order.

Mukhtaran Mai was allegedly raped by several persons in Jatoi village, Muzaffargarh district in souther Punjab, in 2002 after a village jirga (assembly) found her brother guilty of establishing illicit relations with a girl of an influential family and permitted family members to rape Mukhtaran.

While other women brutalised in so-called “honour crimes” have been shunned, Mai’s family embraced her and took her to the authorities. The ‘imam’ in her village preached against the outrage. In June 2002, a case was filed under an Islamic law and the Anti-Terrorism Act against 14 suspects, including two members of the village council.

In August the same year, a lower court in Punjab awarded the death sentence to six of the accused, including the two village council members, and acquitted the other eight suspects.

In March 2005, the Multan bench of the Lahore High Court acted on an appeal filed by the accused and struck down the lower court’s order.

It acquitted five of the six accused and converted the death sentence give to Abdul Khaliq, one of the main accused, to life imprisonment. Soon after, the Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the matter and began hearing the case.

Tripoli/Washington, April 21
Pro-government troops intensified the shelling of the western besieged town of Misrata even as NATO air strikes targeted the capital Tripoli while Libyan rebels today took control of a key post on the Tunisian border following intense fighting.

Amid growing concerns over a looming humanitarian disaster, civilians have been caught in the crossfire in Misrata, 214 km east of the capital Tripoli, in the face of intense pounding of the town by government troops.

Hundreds of people are reported to have been killed in the over seven weeks of attacks, with at least five civilians killed in the fighting yesterday. Two western photojournalists Chris Hondros and Tim Hetherington were among the casualties yesterday. — PTI

London, April 21
The Prince of Wales has achieved a new record of spending a wait of 59 years, two months and 14 days as heir apparent to the British throne, longer than his ancestor Edward VII.

But, while Charles is still waiting, Edward VII ascended the throne to succeed Queen Victoria, Britain’s longest serving monarch, after a wait of 59 years, two months and 13 days, according to figures made available by Clarence House.

Charles, 62, reached the milestone on Wednesday and his mother Queen Elizabeth is still in good health and celebrates her 85th birthday on Thursday.

He became heir apparent at the age of three when his mother, Princess Elizabeth, ascended the throne on February 6, 1952. He was nine when he was given the title of Prince of Wales.

The heir apparent is currently the eldest son of the sovereign — unless the monarch’s children are all female — and his right to succeed cannot be altered. Prince Charles’s oldest son Prince William is second in line to the throne and his brother Harry third in line in succession.

Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who is responsible for constitutional reform, has said the government was looking at the possibility of changing the rules of succession.

His remarks comes as Charles eldest son, Prince William prepares to tie the knot with his longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton on April 29 and the government apparently wants that any daughters born to the royal couple would not be superseded by their younger brothers.

Changing the laws would require agreement across all 16 realms where the British monarch is the head of state, such as Canada, Australia and Jamaica. Negotiations are under way.

But it appears that Charles wait could be endless and it seems a good bet that he may extend his record significantly. — PTI 

Karachi, April 21 
At least 19 persons were killed and around 45 injured in Pakistan's commercial capital, when armed men raided a gambling club and threw hand grenades in one of the city's old areas, Ghas Mandi.

Police chief Fayyaz Leghari said the club was operating upfront as a bridge club but the owners ran an illegal rummy club that was frequented by some very influential people.

Leghari told reporters that 16 persons had been killed in the incident in which armed men raided the club and threw hand grenades and other explosive material causing extensive damage and causalities.

"The condition of 15 of the injured is pretty precarious," a doctor at the Jinnah hospital said. Geo News reported the club was operating under the patronage of some underworld elements as well. — PTI