Pakistani authorities on Thursday said they have identified one of the Taliban militants seen in a video of the public flogging of a girl in the restive Swat valley – an incident that had shocked people around the world earlier this year.
Ameer alias Chota Aftab, who was allegedly involved in flogging the 17-year-old girl, was identified by authorities at the central jail in Dera Ismail Khan.
He was arrested some time ago along with eight other persons from Swat, officials were quoted as saying by TV news channels.
Officials said Ameer had been taken to an undisclosed location for questioning.
The video of the girl's flogging, shot on a mobile phone and circulated by rights activists, had sparked shock and revulsion across Pakistan and around the world in April.
It had also generated public support for the government's decision to launch a military operation against the Taliban in Swat.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani ordered an inquiry into the incident and Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry too took suo moto notice of the issue.