Flogging of a teenage girl by Taliban in Swat, Pak Govt unable to control fanatics, says Human Rights activist Asma Jahangir

Published: April 04, 2009

LAHORE - Chairperson Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Asma Jahangir, while denouncing the flogging of a teenage girl by Taliban in Swat, has announced to hold a protest rally organised by the Citizens of Lahore at 4:30pm, from GPO Chowk to the Punjab Assembly on Saturday. Addressing a news conference on Friday, Asma warned that the government’s writ on the extremist elements in the country appears as non-existent and it is yet not clear to what extent they will go.
Flanked by Iqbal Haider and others, she strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the training centre in Manawan terming it as an extremists’ assault on the whole of Pakistan.
Turning back to the flogging incident of the girl in Swat, she said Taliban are now occupying the whole area and they are doing whatever they want.
Expressing deep concern over the incident, she accused Taliban of forcing the women to marry them and subjecting those to harshest punishment who refuses to obey their orders. Asma said the matter is very serious which would not be resolved sitting at home but doing something practical to check advancement by Taliban.
She said Taliban has spread panic in Swat, Dir and other parts where no school and other pubic institutions are safe at their hand. They have created such a strong scare that even local parliamentarians are reluctant to go to their respective constituencies, she added.
It is an eye opener to everyone, she said adding, the terrorists have reached to our cities and time demands of every patriotic Pakistani to stand up to check their way.
Replying to a question, she said the HRCP did not accept at all US drone attacks on the tribal areas, but that could not be taken as a justification of the terrorist attacks. She said Swat accord has brought the citizens to a greater danger at the hand of Taliban.
She invited every citizen of the country to join them for protecting the country from internal threats of Taliban and other jihadi outfits that are responsible for alarming rise in militancy.