The government agreed to allow Islamic law in the Swat Valley under a peace deal struck with a hard-line cleric, sparking criticism from activists who are worried extremists will violate basic human rights, especially those of women.
The video that emerged Friday sparked further criticism, although it appeared to have been made before the peace deal was struck in February.
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.
'Non-state actors have taken law and justice into their hands in a whole area with a force of their guns,' she told a private television network. 'They want to enforce a Taliban-style system in the area, and we will not let it happen in Pakistan.'
Regional government officials and those involved in the peace deal said the video, which was widely shown on local television, was part of a conspiracy to sabotage the agreement, which has also been criticized for allegedly creating a haven for militants.
'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.'
The two-minute video shows a woman in a body-covering burqa face down on the ground with two men holding her arms and feet. A third man in a black turban with a long beard whips her backside repeatedly, causing her to scream repeatedly and shout: 'Stop it, stop it! It is painful!'
A crowd of men watches silently in the background, and a voice can be heard saying 'hold her hands tightly.'
It was not exactly clear when the incident took place or who carried it out.
A local Taliban spokesman, Muslim Khan, said the militant group publicly flogged a woman in Swat nine months ago over allegations that she had an illicit relationship with her father-in-law with whom she was living, but he was not sure if the video showed that incident.
Iftikhar Hussein, the information minister for NWFP, said the incident occurred Jan 3, without providing additional details. He condemned the flogging and called for those who were involved to be punished.
Khan, the Taliban spokesman, 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.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the incident and ordered an investigation.
He said his government remained committed to reconciliation in Swat but would not hesitate to send in the military if its authority was challenged — raising questions about the peace deal's durability.
Militants have already defied a yearlong military operation in Swat, essentially setting up their own parallel administration in the lush region that once attracted legions of tourists.
President Asif Ali Zardari has yet to sign the bill introducing Islamic law in the valley.
US officials have criticized Pakistan for striking peace deals with militants, worrying they provide safe havens for extremists launching cross-border attacks against US and NATO troops in Afghanistan.
Militants in Pakistan have also stepped up attacks against the supply lines that international forces use to get goods into Afghanistan.
On Friday, militants using guns and petrol bombs attacked a terminal in northwestern Pakistan holding supplies bound for international troops in Afghanistan, damaging five shipping containers, police said.
International troops in Afghanistan transport up to 75 per cent of their supplies via routes through Pakistan, but frequent attacks have forced the US military to explore alternate paths. Reliable supply routes will become even more crucial as the US deploys thousands of additional troops to Afghanistan this year.
Militants attacked the terminal on the outskirts of Peshawar before dawn Friday, torching the shipping containers before escaping, police official Jarod Khan said.
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