President slams rape victims

Islamabad, Pakistan

Women’s rights groups across Pakistan this week protested President Pervez Musharraf’s charge that Pakistani women use claims of rape as a ticket to the West. In an interview with The Washington Post, Musharraf said rape had become a “moneymaking concern” for certain Pakistani women. “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 said. Musharraf later denied making the comments, but the Post says it has the remarks on tape. Pakistan drew international condemnation earlier this year after a village council ordered that a woman be gang-raped to punish her family for a brother’s crime.