Supreme court of Pakistan started its investigation into the flogging of a girl by Taliban forces. This came after the restored Chief Justice, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry took a suo motu notice of the public beating.
All the senior most government officials were present on the occasion to preside before a special eight-judge bench headed by chief justice himself.
The bench berated senior officials for failing to provide substantive explanations of the incident and failing to produce the girl. Justice Ramday was critical of the interior secretary, Kamal Shah, who had a role in placing the deposed judges house arrest during Musharraf’s dictatorial rule. Justice Ramday commented that the civil servant he was only good at detaining judges and ordered him to give a handwritten undertaking of co-operation. Shah complied and wrote the letter.
Chaudhry refused to have a in camera session of the court for confidentiality issues. He remarked its a public issue hence all facts to be brought to general masses also.
Provincial officials said they had visited Chaand Bibi at her village and she had denied she was the burka-clad figure featured in the video.
Court was adjouned for an unspecified period till further clarity was sought.