Widow criticises Musharraf for failing to rescue her

ISLAMABAD: A widow who was held captive with her daughter, daughter-in-law and a child for three days by girl students of a pro-Taliban madrassa here has criticised President Pervez Musharraf for failing to rescue her and threatened to convert to Christianity.

Aunty Shamim, 65, who was released on Thursday night after admitting to "running a brothel," told media that the women were tortured and abused as 'kafirs' (infidels).

"We would prefer to turn to Christianity. At least Christians would provide us protection. Here, we are sure that even President Musharraf cannot provide us protection," she was quoted as saying by The News .

Shamim said she was forced by the madrassa's administration to read a written statement admitting that she ran a brothel.

"I have managed to come out after agreeing to tell the reporters what they asked me to say in front of them. Otherwise, there seemed to be no power in the world, including President Musharraf, who would have been able to get us freed from their custody," she said.

Alleging she was tortured by the girl students, she said they stopped only when she threatened to embrace Christianity.

"Then the students stopped their bad treatment," she said.

"They repeatedly told us that we are 'kafirs'." She also said that she would approach foreign missions in Islamabad, to seek protection from them because "they have warned us of severe consequences if we said something against them".

The girl students abducted two policemen and three women along with a child. Pakistani authorities have released two detained teachers of the seminary in exchange for the kidnapped persons.

"They also put forth the names of those Kashmiris, Khalid Khawaja, (a former ISI official who went missing while agitating for missing persons) and others for their release, as a condition to set us free," Shamim said.

She criticised the Islamabad police for failing to provide them protection.

Shamim charged the students of stealing Rs 25000 and gold ornaments. She said the abductors were all male who barged into her house on Tuesday, breaking not only the outer door but those of the rooms inside her house.

Shamim said she was dragged by the men who put a rope round her neck and brutally beat up the other two women.

Police have registered an FIR in the case.

Some reports said Shamim was detained in 2003 following complaints of prostitution but released as no one came forward to testify against her.

Explaining the government's predicament in taking action against the madrassa and girls students, Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao said since female students were involved, the police were reluctant to take action.

Reports here said Pakistan government has directed the Islamabad administration not to take "immediate" action against the management of two Islamabad madrassas who have launched the campaign of Talibanisation.

"We were asked to take a lenient view of the situation created by the madrassa students," Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Mohammad Ali was quoted as saying by the Daily Times.

He said an FIR had been registered against 200 people for kidnapping two policemen and an alleged brothel organiser along with two other women.

"We have sealed the FIR till further orders," he said. Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao said the government would take "proper action".

"We will not allow any one to challenge the writ of the government," he said.

The madrassa students told a press conference yesterday that they would continue their "jihad" against prostitution if the government failed to take action against those involved in "immoral activities".

"We will continue our campaign. This is the first step to Islamise our society," a madrassa teacher was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

Information Secretary of Pakistan Peoples Party Sherry Rehman said the situation showed that the government had not taken action to stop "creeping Talibanisation" of the capital.