ISLAMABAD: Police on Tuesday arrested a cleric accused of sentencing six people to death for singing and dancing at a wedding in Kohistan.
"Police have arrested a cleric and his companion for issuing the death decree, but they totally denied it," local administration official Aqal Badshah Khattak told AFP.
"The cleric has said he had no role in the decree and his name was misused," Khattak said.
Police told AFP on Monday that clerics sentenced four women and two men to death after mobile phone footage emerged of them enjoying themselves at a village wedding in the mountains of Kohistan district, 175 kilometres north of the capital Islamabad.
The men and women had allegedly danced and sung together in Gada village, in defiance of strict tribal customs that separate men and women at weddings.
But on Tuesday, district police chief Abdul Majeed Afridi said it appeared to be a case of tribal rivalry and an attempt to defame a family.
He said the video was recorded three years ago and then edited in an attempt to implicate the party goers.
"I am satisfied that there is no danger to the life of the girls," he said.
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, at least 943 women and girls were murdered last year after being accused of defaming their family's honour.
COMMENTS (20)
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Can we try this Mullah under the FCR?
Or, is that reserved for fake vaccination only.
@Ali: Agree with your point on the picture to some extent. It looks like a lady dancing in Indian dress (sari). On your 2nd point that liberals are defaming the religion, I have not read anything from any news item in ET or in the comments from readers that has defamed Islam or any other religion. However, many have mocked the insanity displayed by those who proclaim themselves as the true followers of the religion. The liberals are actually bringing respect to the religion by exposing the insanity practiced by some in the name of religion.
All Mullahs should be issued licences to teach and preach by a state body. After such an incident their licences could be revoked.
"dear express tribune, what does the visual above have to do with the story ? a western woman doing a seductive ballet like movement is your idea of women dancing ? why can’t a woman be shown dancing normally ? for your information women do dance in traditional societies of pakistan. at least use local motifs and metaphors."
I 2nd you brother. The sad part is that its all liberals in the media who are doing all this.
Defaming religion has become a norm.
Live and Let Live - why can't we Pakistani's adopt this motto?
Religion is each to his/her own.
@Batman: Thank you, that made my day.
Perhaps the same sentence should be passed on this knuckle dragging Mulla, He should also be charged for conspiracy to intent murder. these people are lunatics and drunk with power. This is nothing more then mayhem and murder in the name of religion.
943 deaths? Who is going to answer for all those?
Mullah has not been given any dawatnama to interfere in people's private lives.
An earlier report said that these women were being held in a room and being starved. I dont remember exactly whether it was by the cleric or someone else. They even said 40 people had been given the charge of killing these persons.
ET could you follow up on those reports? Were these women held hostage or not?
Why only this mullah? What about all those mullahs who preach hatred against other sects, religions,sex etc, What about those who preach against Polio vaccination? Why wait till they pass a fatwa. Even preaching such obnoxious things should be punishable.
All assemblies should pass laws similar to GB assembly. Mullahs spitting out venom and edicts should then be tried under terrorism charges.
Must have been a clerical mistake
It's a pretty common occurrence for the guilty to make you work for it rather than confess straightaway, if ever.
According to the Gulf News of today, the "fatwa" was indeed issued by this stone-age mullah. People such as this fanatic are recklessly issuing decrees that have no significance or relevance to our times but causing undue harm not only to the victims but also to the nation which is facing a major economic crisis. Reports of such incidents are scaring away many investors (the story about the problems of a US investor in the power sector is playing havoc in the minds of potential investors who are refusing to go to Pakistan, let alone put their money in that country). How long is this country going to survive as an entity? Many big Indian companies that I know were thinking about investment in Pakistan but a series of glitches have also put them in two minds. They will probably not come to Pakistan. Terrorism and religious extremism have blinded Pakistanis; they are a scourge for mankind.