April 02, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 24, 1429

GHALANAI, April 1: A man and a woman were stoned to death by militants in Khwezai-Baezai area on Monday after a ‘qazi court’ found them guilty of adultery.

This is the first incident of Rajam (stoning to death) carried out in Fata. Earlier, couples found guilty of adultery by militants or tribesmen were executed by firing squads.

The woman, identified as Shano from Mohmand Agency, had allegedly eloped with Daulat Khan Malikdeenkhel of Bara on March 15.

Dr Asad, a spokesman for the militants, told Dawn that Shano was a married woman living in Peshawar’s Deen Bahar colony.

He said a complaint had been received from her family that she had been abducted by Daulat Khan. But later it was reported that she had eloped with him.

He said that some members of the Taliban movement captured them in Nowshera when they were returning from Karachi.

He said the qazi found the couple guilty of adultery and sentenced them to death by stoning and the sentence was carried out in Khwaezai-Baezai, about 40 kms west of the Mohmand Agency’s headquarters Ghalanai.

The body of the woman was laid to rest in the same area by some local people. The man’s body was taken to the hospital and handed over to his relatives.