Church’s concern over Sharia law rule

http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/news/?NewsID=4140

[Religious Intelligence] 23 Mar 2009--The church of Pakistan will take a wait and see approach to the deal forged last month by the government of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Islamist militant group the Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariah-Mohammadi (TNSM) that imposed Sharia law on the Swat Valley.

The General Secretary of the Church of Pakistan, Humphrey Peters told The Church of England Newspaper that it was “not very clear” what form of Sharia law was under consideration in the former princely state of 1.8 million people, located 100 miles northeast of Peshawar.

“We are closely watching what type of law will be implemented, and then we will manage to see and comment on its implications,” Mr Peters said. On Feb 16 the NWFP government and the leader of the TNSM, Sufi Mohammad Khan, agreed to a truce to end two years of fighting that according to records released last year by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan had lead to the deaths of at least 400 civilians and the destruction of over 1,000 homes.