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| India-Pakistan |
| 'Taliban's sharia paving way for army operations in FATA' |
| 2009-01-07 |
| The imposition of self-styled sharia in Orakzai Agency by the Taliban is paving the way for a military operation in the agency, as operations were launched in the other tribal agencies after the Taliban announced to enforce sharia there, FATA Lawyers Forum (FLF) said on Tuesday. Talking to Daily Times, FLF President Abdul Karim Mehsud said it was the Taliban's self-styled sharia that led to military operations in Bajaur and Mohmand agencies as well as in Swat. The Taliban imposed 'Islamic law' in Orakzai Agency and Hangu district, bordering the agency, a few days back. The Taliban banned women from visiting markets, except for medical treatment, but that too only when accompanied by an adult male relative. They imposed complete ban on TV, CDs and video centres in the agency. They established 'Islamic courts' in the agency, asking the tribesmen to access these courts for timely justice under Islamic laws. They also announced that girls in the agency would be married of their own consent. The FLF president said the orders issued by the Taliban were part of tribal traditions 30 years ago, when women were not allowed to leave their houses without adult male family members, and tribal elders did not allow video centres in the area. FCR: Mehsud said the tribesmen were approaching the Taliban's 'sharia courts' because they were frustrated with the colonial Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), under which cases remained pending for decades in tribunals and courts of FCR commissioners. FLF Secretary General Taj Mahal Afridi said the tribesmen were losing trust in the FCR judicial system due to 'faulty' policies of the central government and 'rampant corruption' in the offices of the political administration. Afridi said the government should either amend the FCR law or replace it with the laws enforced in other parts of the country and make the judicial system transparent. Otherwise, FATA would fall into the hands of Taliban, he said. Expensive shops: He said FCR tribunals and FCR commissioner courts were 'expensive shops', where the poor tribesmen did not get any relief in decades. That was why the 'Taliban courts' were welcomed by the tribesman, as these provided quick justice without any expense. |
| Posted by:Fred |