Disturbing pictures have emerged of a young girl being brutally beaten by the Taliban in Pakistan's Swat valley. The 17-year-old girl was flogged because she was seen with a man who was not her husband.
She was punished just on the suspicion of a neighbour.
Her own brother was among the three men who pinned her down, while she took 34 lashes, crying out in pain.
A Taliban spokesperson said:
"She came out of her house with another guy who was not her husband, so we must punish her. There are boundaries you cannot cross."
An embarrassed Zardari administration has now ordered an inquiry.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani says: "We have ordered an enquiry into the incident. We condemn what has happened. We will investige girl flogging incident in Swat."
But there is growing anger against Zardari's peace pact with the Taliban. A deal which was backed by the US. Human rights activist Asma Jehangir says: "Under the peace deal, the government has put the lives of the people in Swat in the hands of the Taliban. The administration says there is peace there. I challenge them to take their family there for a picnic."
Protests are getting louder, but activists fear the Taliban is only tightening its grip over the Swat valley.
