Monday, April 6, 2009

Outrage Over Taliban Flogging Of Pakistani Girl Could Threaten Peace Deal

This is image from mobile phone footage released by Dunya TV Channel shows a woman in a body-covering burqa face down on the ground with two men holding her arms and feet and a third man whipping her backside, on Friday, April 3, 2009. Pakistani authorities ordered an investigation Friday into a video showing a man flogging a screaming woman in the country's northwest where the government recently agreed to introduce Islamic law to end a rebellion by Taliban militants. (AP Photo/Dunya TV Channel)

From The Christian Science Monitor:

A video of a girl being lashed 34 times for allegedly being seen with a man who was not her husband has prompted a chorus of condemnations led by President Asif Ali Zardari.

Mingora, Pakistan - The public flogging of a 17-year-old girl in Pakistan's Swat Valley sparked a wave of protests across the country this weekend, but local residents fear the backlash may jeopardize a precarious peace deal between the Pakistani government and militants in the troubled region.

A grainy video depicting a girl being pinned down by three men and lashed 34 times – Islamic law punishment for allegedly being seen with a man who was not her husband – was released on private Pakistani television channels on Friday night prompting a chorus of condemnations led by President Asif Ali Zardari, who has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is all bluster and talk .... the Pakistani Government was defeated in The Swat Valley last year. They are in no position to dictate terms, conditions .... or even threats.

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