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MUZAFFARGARH, May 24: Rape victim turned women rights activist Mukhtar Mai has resigned as chairperson of her women crisis centre on Thursday, alleging the district administration does not want to make the facility operational and has been hindering its development on various pretexts.
The district government appointed a PML-Q district office-bearer, Umme Kulsoom Zia, as the new chairperson within hours of accepting Mai’s resignation.
Mai vowed to build her own crisis centre, besides many girls schools in Alipur and Jatoi tehsils, with the help of World Bank and other international organisations.
She has sent copies of her resignation to the president, prime minister, Women’s Welfare Ministry, Muzaffargarh DCO and EDO (Community Development).
Talking to Dawn, Mai said she had got approved Rs11.4 million for the Mukhtar Mai Crisis Centre, Mirwala, from Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during a meeting in Islamabad ten months ago. She said that after two or three weeks of the meeting, she received a letter from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and Women Welfare and Development Ministry that funds had been released to the district administration that would deliver the same to her.
She said instead of giving her the funds for constructing a proper building for the crisis centre, the district administration asked her to sign cheques for advertisements and other purposes.
She said EDO (Community Development) never informed her about the details of the funds and development on the crisis centre despite her repeated requests.
The district administration, she said, tried to convince her that the centre should be built in Muzaffargarh city, but she did not agree to the suggestion.
In January last, she said, she again received a letter from the Women Welfare Ministry, informing her that all the funds for the crisis centre were lying unspent and unclaimed, and the money would be withdrawn.
She said even then the district administration showed no willingness to release the money.
She said despite being the chairperson, the administration never invited her to any meeting to discuss centre’s affairs. She said on May 4, 2007, when she was in the USA on a two-week tour, the district administration called a meeting which was attended by her representative. The meeting was, however, dismissed without any discussion on the pretext that she was absent, she added.
She said that she met former DCO Tariq Najeed Najmi six times but there was no progress on the issue of fund release.
Mai alleged the administration wanted to use the amount without his consent.
Presently, she said, the Meerwala Women’s Crisis Centre was functioning in a five-room building where 13 victims of domestic violence had been housed. Mai has built the centre without government help She made it clear that she would not work with any government-run crisis centre and her name should not be used for running any official facility.
“I will run my own crisis centre and for that I will get funds from the World Bank and other foreign donors,” she said.
Besides the centre, Mai also runs two primary schools for girls.
She said the schools would soon be upgraded as an expatriate, Muhammad Hussain, had donated Rs6 million for the purpose, besides Rs2.2 million donation by the Canadian International Development Agency.
Community development EDO said the resignation was Mukhtar Mai’s personal decision. He alleged Mai did not cooperate with the government and remained absent from the meeting held to discuss the issue.
MUZAFFARGARH, May 24: Rape victim turned women rights activist Mukhtar Mai has resigned as chairperson of her women crisis centre on Thursday, alleging the district administration does not want to make the facility operational and has been hindering its development on various pretexts.
The district government appointed a PML-Q district office-bearer, Umme Kulsoom Zia, as the new chairperson within hours of accepting Mai’s resignation.
Mai vowed to build her own crisis centre, besides many girls schools in Alipur and Jatoi tehsils, with the help of World Bank and other international organisations.
She has sent copies of her resignation to the president, prime minister, Women’s Welfare Ministry, Muzaffargarh DCO and EDO (Community Development).
Talking to Dawn, Mai said she had got approved Rs11.4 million for the Mukhtar Mai Crisis Centre, Mirwala, from Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during a meeting in Islamabad ten months ago. She said that after two or three weeks of the meeting, she received a letter from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and Women Welfare and Development Ministry that funds had been released to the district administration that would deliver the same to her.
She said instead of giving her the funds for constructing a proper building for the crisis centre, the district administration asked her to sign cheques for advertisements and other purposes.
She said EDO (Community Development) never informed her about the details of the funds and development on the crisis centre despite her repeated requests.
The district administration, she said, tried to convince her that the centre should be built in Muzaffargarh city, but she did not agree to the suggestion.
In January last, she said, she again received a letter from the Women Welfare Ministry, informing her that all the funds for the crisis centre were lying unspent and unclaimed, and the money would be withdrawn.
She said even then the district administration showed no willingness to release the money.
She said despite being the chairperson, the administration never invited her to any meeting to discuss centre’s affairs. She said on May 4, 2007, when she was in the USA on a two-week tour, the district administration called a meeting which was attended by her representative. The meeting was, however, dismissed without any discussion on the pretext that she was absent, she added.
She said that she met former DCO Tariq Najeed Najmi six times but there was no progress on the issue of fund release.
Mai alleged the administration wanted to use the amount without his consent.
Presently, she said, the Meerwala Women’s Crisis Centre was functioning in a five-room building where 13 victims of domestic violence had been housed. Mai has built the centre without government help She made it clear that she would not work with any government-run crisis centre and her name should not be used for running any official facility.
“I will run my own crisis centre and for that I will get funds from the World Bank and other foreign donors,” she said.
Besides the centre, Mai also runs two primary schools for girls.
She said the schools would soon be upgraded as an expatriate, Muhammad Hussain, had donated Rs6 million for the purpose, besides Rs2.2 million donation by the Canadian International Development Agency.
Community development EDO said the resignation was Mukhtar Mai’s personal decision. He alleged Mai did not cooperate with the government and remained absent from the meeting held to discuss the issue.