From CNS News, “Pakistan Police Arrest Runners in Mixed-Sex Road Race,” with thanks to Scaramouche.
An attempt to organize a mixed-gender mini-marathon ran into trouble in Pakistan on Saturday when police disrupted the event and arrested scores of people, local media reported.
Organized by two human rights groups, the foot race in the city of Lahore was intended to highlight violence against women and promote “enlightened moderation” – a reference to President Pervez Musharraf’s stated vision for the Islamic country.
“Women participants, along with their male companions, were manhandled, beaten up, dragged and bundled into police trucks,” the daily newspaper Dawn reported…
Earlier this year, Musharraf was quoted as saying that Pakistanis who objected to women taking part in public sporting events should turn off their TV sets.