Re-arrest Mai rape suspects: Pak SC

In 2003, a trial court had convicted six of the accused and released eight others. It had sentenced four to death and awarded life imprisonment to two. Of the six, the Lahore High Court released five earlier this month and commuted the death sentence of the sixth to life imprisonment, drawing strong criticism from human rights groups.

The Supreme Court ruling came a day after 34-year-old Mai appealed the acquittals at the apex court. ‘‘I am very happy. I hope those who humiliated me will be punished,’’ she told reporters outside the court.

Defence counsel and senior leader of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Aitzaz Ahsan, who appeared for Mai, said the court order covered all the 14 accused and it quashed all previous judgements. This meant that the court could hear the case afresh.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan government also returned Mai her confiscated passport. ‘‘I have received the passport late (last) night,’’ she said.

The government came under flack recently for putting Mai on the Exit Control List (ECL) to prevent her from going to the United States to address rights groups.

President Pervez Musharraf said he himself ordered her name to be put on the ECL as her campaign could damage Pakistan’s standing in the international community. The decision, however, turned out to be a publicity disaster as it hit headlines all over the world, and caused US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to express concern and even offer Mai a visa.

Pakistan removed Mai from the ECL after she dropped plans to visit the US and withdrew her visa application. —PTI