Militants in Pakistan's Swat impose their code of conduct on civilians

MINGORA (SWAT), January 12: “We are living under duress now-a-days,” said a Swat-based educationist while deploring the recent threats from Taliban for closure of girls’ schools in the valley. “After so many requests, they [Taliban] have agreed to allow girls’ education at government and private institutions till class IV,” he said while referring to a recent meeting with the militants, who announced a unilateral ban on girls’ schooling from January 15. Commander Shah Dauran, in his routine lecture on his proscribed FM channel, had warned parents to stop sending their female children to schools. Over the past two weeks, many families quit the valley fearing the future of their children. Apart from education, which always remained the casualty of insurgency and militancy in settled and tribal areas of Pakistan, Swat people have been subjected to so many dos and don’ts in recent months. Hair dressers have been forced to stop shaving beards. “Shaving and other un-Islamic activities are prohibited here,” “we are not shaving beards,” “don’t visit us for shaving beards,” are the handwritten notices pasted on the entrance of every hair-dresser shop in Mingora, headquarters of the restive Swat district. One such poster outside a barber shop reads that shaving was stopped on the orders of Taliban commander and any one defied the order would be punished by the militants under Islamic laws. Many barbers quit the job or shifted to other cities while those still sticking to their profession complained they were living from pocket to mouth because little number of people visits their shops now. Taliban have also banned the roaming of women in market areas. “Entry of women has been banned in this market,” reads a banner installed in front of a three-storey market, which was once called “Women Market”. Located in the main Mingora city on the side of a busy road, the market is now presenting a deserted look as majority of shop owners have sold or closed down their businesses because of weaker daily sale. “We were dealing in women garments and cosmetics and were doing a reasonable business. However, we could not earn the rent and electricity charges of the shop since the ban imposed on women entry in the market,” said a bearded shop owner who declined to be named. Another shop owner said he had not seen a woman in the whole Mingora Bazaar over the past one month. “They [Taliban] have ordered the killing of women if seen in market areas,” he said. Despite being the remote area, Mingora city was once known for offering the best medical facilities and it was because many doctors preferred to establish private clinics and hospitals in the city. However, many of them, especially female doctors are now returning to their own cities following Taliban threat to women to wear veils and stay inside their homes. Besides, medical representatives of various pharmaceutical companies and doctors serving in various private and government hospitals, have stopped wearing paint-shirts to avoid taking a grudge with Taliban. Nurses serving in government and private hospitals are the only women employees who have not been issued any threat in Swat. However, they are also fearing a ban and wearing veils to avoid being noticed by the militants. The market of dancing girls, also known as Bundh Bazaar, has also been closed following the recent killing of a female dancer. The area, once known for its glistening lights and sound of music from every house in night hours, remains darker as the darkness of night prevails. Many of the singing nightingales have left the famous street for cities like Karachi and Lahore, while others have shut the business and snapped contacts with those used to visit their houses for singing and dance parties. “Don’t disturb us, we have expiated and stopped singing and dancing,” reads a small signboard on a corner of the street of dancing girls.