Investigation ordered after flogging of Pakistani woman footage surfaces
Video comes in wake of deal approving Islamic law in Swat valley
Last Updated: Friday, April 3, 2009 | 12:48 PM ET
CBC News
A video of the public flogging in Pakistan's Swat valley of a woman accused of illicit relations with a man has prompted widespread condemnation and a government investigation.
In a video that appears to be filmed on a mobile telephone camera, a burka-clad woman is shown being held down on the ground, face down, by two men and being beaten with a leather strap by a third on her back and buttocks.
She received over 30 lashes, crying out in pain throughout as a circle of onlookers watch.
The two-minute video has been widely circulating on Pakistani television.
Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik said the government is investigating the incident.
The Taliban has taken responsibility for the flogging.
Taliban defends punishment
Britain's Guardian newspaper quoted Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan as saying, "She came out of her house with another guy who was not her husband, so we must punish her. There are boundaries you cannot cross."
Khan defended the punishment, although he said it should not have been done in public and should have been carried out by a boy who had not yet reached puberty.
Sherry Rehman, a former information minister and senior ruling party member, called for the men who participated in the public flogging to be punished, saying they had "crossed a red line" and violated the country's constitution.
"The prime minister strongly condemned the shameful happening and said such incidents tarnish the country's image," said APP, the state news agency.
The release of the footage comes six weeks after the Pakistani government agreed to allow the implementation of Islamic law in the turbulent northwestern Swat valley, in an effort to bring peace to the region.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said his government remains committed to reconciliation in Swat but would not hesitate to send in the military if its authority were challenged — raising questions about the Feb. 16 peace deal's durability.
Timeline unclear
There have been conflicting reports of when the flogging occurred. Regional government officials have said it took place before the peace deal.
"It is an old incident, and it happened before the peace agreement," said Syed Mohammad Javed, the top government administrator for Swat and surrounding areas. "There are some elements who want to sabotage this agreement."
Mian Iftikhar Hussein, the information minister for the province that contains Swat, said the incident occurred Jan. 3, without providing additional details. He condemned the flogging and called for those involved to be punished.
Other local sources, human rights activists and media reports have said the incident took place more recently, perhaps between one and three weeks ago.
Local Pashtun documentarian Samar Minallah Khan told media outlets the incident occurred within the last 10 days. She said the woman was 17 years old, but that account has not been verified.
With files from the Associated Press
