Pakistani women impress McLellan

Minister visits amid ‘ rape’ furor President’s remark ‘unacceptable’

OTTAWA— Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan, visiting Islamabad last week, found herself in the middle of vigorous debate over violence against women — one day after Pakistan’s president suggested women were letting themselves be raped so they could leave the country.

McLellan said she was seated between opposition MP Sherry Rehman and Hina Rabbani Khar, the minister of state for economic affairs, as they discussed the plight of many women in Pakistan.

“ Both of them feel there needs to be a great deal more done,” McLellan told the Star yesterday. She said Khar pointed out Pakistan has banned honour killings, but Rehman noted the “ law is one thing, enforcement of the law is another.”

“ There is a very active debate . . . among educated women and elected officials, but in isolated areas where tribal values dominate, the horror of honour killings persists,” she said. “ And in some cases even the police are involved.” McLellan, who announced during the trip a $ 9.5- million contribution from Canada for projects that aim to improve the lives of Pakistani women, described the women she met as “ forces to be reckoned with — well-educated, articulate and strong- willed.”

“ Progress is being made, but you can’t assume articulate, well- educated women represent rural areas where tribal views are dominant,” she said. A week ago, President Pervez Musharraf told The Washington Post that being raped has become “a money-making concern” and that “ a lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire, get yourself raped.” He was referring to the case of Mukhtar Mai, 33, who was gangraped in 2002 on the orders of a village council. She demanded that the men responsible be charged and convicted, and was later prevented by Musharraf from travelling abroad to publicize her case.

Musharraf later denied the remarks — which McLellan called “unacceptable”— but the Post stood by its reporting.

Musharraf’s comments made headlines in Islamabad during McLellan’s visit, and were the subject of conversations with many of the officials she met. The minister said those officials are committed to improving the situation for women.