Islamic law move threatens to 'Talebanise' Pakistan frontier province

Islamists in Pakistan's Northwestern Frontier province have tabled legislation this week which rights groups fear could lead to the 'Talebanisation' of the region.

The proposed 'Hasba' accountability law that envisages 'reforming the society in line with the Islamic teachings'' threatens to have far-reaching effects on the growing struggle between the country's fundamentalist and moderate groups.

Introduced by the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), an alliance of six major religious parties, Hasba would make sharia Islamic teachings the governing law and appoint a religious cleric as ombudsman with wide-ranging powers to enforce the proposed law.

Under the plan, the ombudsman will have police to monitor adherence to religion in public places and take steps to discourage un-Islamic practices by force.

The ombudsman will also be empowered to hold government officials accountable. Anyone disobeying his orders could face charges under the new law.

The move has drawn strong criticism from opposition parties and human rights groups, which say the law's implementation would curtail basic civil liberties.