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Pakistan fashion week defies Taliban with non-Islamic dressPakistan's fashion week began on Wednesday in defiance of the Taliban's preference for strict adherence to modest Islamic veils.

By Chris Allbritton in Karachi
Published: 12:44AM GMT 05 Nov 2009

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This creation is by the Pakistani designer Imbias Photo: AFP

As Pakistan's army battled religious extremists in South Waziristan, Karachi's top designers sent models down catwalks with bare shoulders and exposed navels in an unusual display of skin in a country where most women cover up.

Sonya Battla, the first designer to show, presented a collection that she said celebrated strong women. She dismissed the fact that in more conservative parts of the country, her designs might get women driven out of town or stoned to death.

"I'm a very brave woman," said the 38-year-old designer. "I'm not going to be scared and no one's going to judge me."

Taliban militants have killed more than 300 in the past month in a bloody campaign of bombings and assassinations. Attacks on markets, universities, the army general headquarters in Rawalpindi and police stations in Lahore show the Taliban can reach seemingly ever corner of the country.

But the fashion world was determined to stage its shows.

"Life has to go on," said Samar Mehdi, 35, another young designer who studied fashion at Bristol University. "And this is a way to tell the people want our lives to stop that 'No, we won't let you.'"

The shows were held at the Marriott Hotel in Pakistan's financial capital under strict security. The event – originally scheduled for October – planned to introduce designers and models from abroad, but the fragile security situation has left organisers counting on local talent.