I was going through the daily newspaper of April 5, 2009 when I came across a number of news items and photographs on the issue of public flogging of a girl in Swat. A spokesman of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Muslim Khan while talking to media in Dakorak village near Charbagh town of Swat district condemned the propaganda of public flogging of a girl in Swat and termed the visual telecast in almost all the electronic media channels in Pakistan as fake and mock. He said that TTP is not involved in such an inhuman punishment. He clarified that the flogged women was not 17 years old girl but her age was 34 years and was involved in illegitimate relations with her father-in-law. He refuted the media claim that girl was charged for meeting a young boy. Muslim Khan clarified that flogging of an offender women in Kabal Tehsil was carried out in standing position and that is no truth that said woman was put on ground and flogged through backside. He also produced before the media four young teenage boys who carried out the act of flogging in January 2009.
Unconfirmed sources disclosed the video containing visual of public flogging of a female in Swat was actually prepared by foreign NGO with its offices in Islamabad. Surprisingly the visual conceals the identity of all the bystanders watching the flogging by showing only their lower part of the bodies and not the face. It must be borne in mind that it is the responsibility of media to authenticate the information before publishing, broadcasting, telecasting or hoisting it for public utility. It cannot be like this that any piece of information; a document, a recorded cassette or a video tape once received by media personnel can reach public without confirmation. I read a lot about fake encounter of Indian Army and Security forces in Indian Held Kashmir in which innocent Kashmiris were ruthlessly killed but this is the first time I come across the fake visuals telecast by media in Pakistan. The newspapers covering the protest demonstrations against public flogging of a female in Swat also published images of protesters displaying play cards and banners inscribed with different slogans including "FLOGGER KAFIR - FLOG TALIBAN NOW - (NETWORK OF WOMEN PAKISTAN)" and "TALIBAN ARE CURSE ON THIS NATION" Irrespective of the fact whether all those involved in flogging have committed a crime or otherwise, who authorized these NGOs and International organizations to brand someone "KAFIR"? Isn't it Court of law to decide the fate of the floggers and do these NGOs and International organizations have any authority to brand a Muslim as Kafir?
Some anchorpersons of private media channels also did not miss opportunity and spoke against Muslim religious leaders including Moulana Hussain Ahmed Madni and Mufti Kifayat Ullah, two prominent freedom fighters during war of independence. As a protest, Jamiat Ahle Sunnat Wal Jammat (JASWJ) took out a protest rally in front offices of renowned newspapers near Marheer Chowk in Rawalpindi and chanted slogans against media. Presently no one in the media is interested in finding the truth behind the incident; they are more concerned to find out if such incidents happen in the future what would be course of action of Qazi Courts on the basis of Nizam-e-Adal Regulation. It is important to mention here that when the visual of public flogging of a girl in Swat was being telecast another top story was repeatedly aired in all the media channels that three missiles were fired by US and allies on the house in Khadarkhel, Tehsil Data Khel, Waziristan Agency on April 4, 2009 which killed 13 civilian including a woman and two children. There is a question which we must ask ourselves; if we compare the public flogging of a woman in Swat with the innocent woman killed in US missile attacks in Waziristan Agency, which one appears more barbaric? Thousands of people have been killed in US missile attacks on Pakistan in the last one year, mere on the suspicion of links with Taliban or holding extremist views. It would have been a better choice for US and allies if they had publicly flogged these innocent civilian men, women and children than carrying out their cold blooded murder through missile strikes. NGOs and human right activist who had been silent on US atrocities must give it a serious thought.
Unconfirmed sources disclosed the video containing visual of public flogging of a female in Swat was actually prepared by foreign NGO with its offices in Islamabad. Surprisingly the visual conceals the identity of all the bystanders watching the flogging by showing only their lower part of the bodies and not the face. It must be borne in mind that it is the responsibility of media to authenticate the information before publishing, broadcasting, telecasting or hoisting it for public utility. It cannot be like this that any piece of information; a document, a recorded cassette or a video tape once received by media personnel can reach public without confirmation. I read a lot about fake encounter of Indian Army and Security forces in Indian Held Kashmir in which innocent Kashmiris were ruthlessly killed but this is the first time I come across the fake visuals telecast by media in Pakistan. The newspapers covering the protest demonstrations against public flogging of a female in Swat also published images of protesters displaying play cards and banners inscribed with different slogans including "FLOGGER KAFIR - FLOG TALIBAN NOW - (NETWORK OF WOMEN PAKISTAN)" and "TALIBAN ARE CURSE ON THIS NATION" Irrespective of the fact whether all those involved in flogging have committed a crime or otherwise, who authorized these NGOs and International organizations to brand someone "KAFIR"? Isn't it Court of law to decide the fate of the floggers and do these NGOs and International organizations have any authority to brand a Muslim as Kafir?
Some anchorpersons of private media channels also did not miss opportunity and spoke against Muslim religious leaders including Moulana Hussain Ahmed Madni and Mufti Kifayat Ullah, two prominent freedom fighters during war of independence. As a protest, Jamiat Ahle Sunnat Wal Jammat (JASWJ) took out a protest rally in front offices of renowned newspapers near Marheer Chowk in Rawalpindi and chanted slogans against media. Presently no one in the media is interested in finding the truth behind the incident; they are more concerned to find out if such incidents happen in the future what would be course of action of Qazi Courts on the basis of Nizam-e-Adal Regulation. It is important to mention here that when the visual of public flogging of a girl in Swat was being telecast another top story was repeatedly aired in all the media channels that three missiles were fired by US and allies on the house in Khadarkhel, Tehsil Data Khel, Waziristan Agency on April 4, 2009 which killed 13 civilian including a woman and two children. There is a question which we must ask ourselves; if we compare the public flogging of a woman in Swat with the innocent woman killed in US missile attacks in Waziristan Agency, which one appears more barbaric? Thousands of people have been killed in US missile attacks on Pakistan in the last one year, mere on the suspicion of links with Taliban or holding extremist views. It would have been a better choice for US and allies if they had publicly flogged these innocent civilian men, women and children than carrying out their cold blooded murder through missile strikes. NGOs and human right activist who had been silent on US atrocities must give it a serious thought.
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