Taliban hold public flogging in Arakzai despite Pakistani claims of success

The Pakistani military often claims success in a tribal agency, only to have the facts on the ground contradict such statements. Recent events in Arakzai are a good example of this.

In the tribal agency of Arakzai, the Pakistani Taliban flogged 65 men in public who had been accused of dealing drugs, after making announcements at local mosques that the punishments would be meted out. From Reuters via Daily Times:

The men were given 10 lashes each in an open area used by children to play football and for religious sermons in the town of Mamozai in the Arakzai Agency, said Taliban spokesman Hafiz Saeed. The floggings illustrate how Pakistan’s al Qaeda-linked Taliban is still able to impose harsh punishments in some parts of the northwest despite government assertions that several military offensives severely weakened the group. “They were found guilty of using and selling drugs after which our Islamic court sentenced them to punishment that was carried out in public,” said Saeed. An Arakzai tribesman said about 600 people watched the lashings after the Taliban made announcements through mosques urging people to attend. People often comply with the Taliban out of fear, although the group does have supporters. “The men were brought in groups of five and were lashed 10 times each before being released,” said the tribesmen, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals.

Back in May, Pakistani troops battled Taliban forces in the town of Mamozai, and then claimed the area was cleared. In June, Pakistani Chief of Army Staff General Kayani declared that Arakzai was cleared of the Taliban and announced that combat operations were over in the tribal agency. Despite that announcement, however, the military has continued to conduct airstrikes against Taliban positions. And just five days ago, Major General Nadir Zeb, the Inspector General of the Frontier Corps, said that Arakzai was 90 percent cleared and that the military was mopping up in remote areas. Yet the Arakzai Taliban can hold courts, announce verdicts, conduct public floggings, and have a spokesman granting interviews with the media.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

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