Video alleges Pakistan army abuse

Warning: this report contains distressing images

A video has emerged from Pakistan which appears to show soldiers punching four blindfolded men whose hands are bound to window and door frames. It also shows the men being sexually assaulted.

The cries of the men are clearly audible on the tape, as well as the laughter of someone off-camera.

Channel 4 News has been unable to verify the authenticity of the video, when it was shot or whether it includes Pakistani army soldiers, but an army spokesman said they were aware of the tape.

He said they believed it had been filmed in the Swat valley region, the scene of much fighting between the army and Taliban militants. It is unclear who the blindfolded men in the video are, or what they may have been accused of doing.

Criticism of the Pakistani armed forces

The video, which has been posted on YouTube, comes amid withering criticism of the Pakistani armed forces. The US raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound is seen as a national embarrassment because it happened undetected by the Pakistani military.

Another video surfaced last week showing paramilitary troops using excessive force, this time in the country’s biggest city, Karachi. A young man called Sarfraz Shah was accused of stealing a woman’s purse. He begged for mercy but was shot by a soldier and bled to death while troops looked on.

Six Pakistani Rangers have been charged with the murder, a conclusion which human rights groups say is a rarity. They accuse the military of benefitting from a culture of impunity.

The military says it is being stretched to the limit as it fights a nationwide insurgency against extremists. it is concerned that recent criticism is hurting morale, and undermining effectiveness.

However the existence of videos such as this, if proved to involve the military, will intensify the anger many already feel towards the armed forces in Pakistan in the light of recent events.