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Published 23 Dec, 2021 11:39am

Mukhtar Mai says she's receiving death threats after her security withdrawn

Women's rights activist Mukhtar Mai claims she's receiving death threats after her police security was withdrawn in Meerwala, Alipur Jatoi in Muzaffargarh district, The News reported on Wednesday.

She said her security was withdrawn "all of a sudden" without prior notice which left Mai and her students in shock, according to Nadeem Shah's report.

The Mastoi clan in Meerwala is accused of ordering the rape of Mai in 2002, an incident which shocked the nation as well as the world and put the spotlight on honor crimes. Mai pursued the case against the culprits.

An anti-terrorism court sentenced 6 men to death for rape but the Lahore High Court acquitted 5 of the 6 convicted rapists in 2005 saying they did not have sufficient evidence. The government, with Mai, appealed this decision and the Supreme Court of Pakistan took up the appeal but then in 2011, it too acquitted the accused.

Mai has since been running a school for girls and boys in Meerwala and was given security protocols for life -- until now.

"A man identified as Wasim entered my house the other day waving a pistol and threatening to kill me," she told The News, adding she and her family members were feeling insecure.

According to the report, she talked to Muzaffargarh District Police Officer Hassan Iqbal and requested him to redeploy the security personnel. Iqbal vowed to act on her request, but no action was taken after the passage of a month. Mai also talked to DIG Dera Division but to no avail.

Dera Ghazi Khan Regional Police Officer Waqas Nazir said the constable assigned for her security, who is also her husband, was transferred but Mai did not accept the transfer.

When the matter came to Nazir's notice, he directed Muzaffargarh DPO to post the constable of her choice.

Mai runs the Girls Model School and Ghulam Farid Primary School for girls and boys respectively in Meerwala where Mai was providing free eduction to children with the assistance of philanthropists. The students in her schools were provided free books, uniforms and pick-and-drop services.

Earlier, she handed over a school comprising of 5-Kanal land with water facilities of computer lab, library and furniture to the government.

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