05 February,2009 11:26 AM IST | | Agencies
Having cracked the whip to bar girls from schooling, serving summons to politicians and lawmakers, Taliban now in control of Pakistan's northwestern region of Swat valley, have issued an ultimatum to lawyers.
Branding the present Pakistani jurisprudence as "infidel judicial system", the Taliban have told the lawyers to stay away from the courts or they will be killed.
Vowing to enforce their version of Islamic Shariah law, the Taliban's diktat caused such a panic among the lawyers in the region that they are making contacts with militant commanders saying they were ready to implement their instructions. The threat was announced over Taliban's clandestinely-run FM radio channel.
Swat Bar Association president Aftab Alam, falling in line, said the lives of 300 professionals were under threat and that he was trying to contact the Taliban to assure them that the lawyers were ready to work under an Islamic judicial regime.
The threats by Taliban came even as Pakistan army launched a major operation to flush out terrorists from the area. But they faced a major reverse when militants abducted 30 policemen as troops temporarily lifted a seige.
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The latest ultimatum comes close on the heels of the Taliban's diktat last year asking all government and private schools to close down girls classes by January 15. The militants have already destroyed 172 schools -- 122 for girls and 50 for boys. Taliban's diktat have already triggered a mass exodus of Swat residents.u00a0
