Dead ... this frame grab shows Najiba dead seconds after being shot by a man in an execution condemned by the Afghan government as un-Islamic and inhuman. Credit:AFP/Parwan Provincial Government Following the shooting, a villager handed the video over to the provincial government and "the security forces are preparing a big operation to find the culprits", she said. The video opens with the woman, wrapped in a grey shawl, sitting at the edge of a ditch in a village surrounded by dozens of men, some perched on rooftops for a better view. As she sits with her back to the crowd a bearded man is seen reading verses from the Koran condemning adultery, before saying: "We cannot forgive her, God tells us to finish her. Juma Khan, her husband, has the right to kill her." The video then shows a man in white being handed an AK47 rifle.

Watching ... this frame grab shows a gathering of people watching the execution by gunfire of a woman married to a member of a hardline Taliban militant group. Credit:AFP/Parwan Provincial Government He approaches to within a couple of metres of the woman, says "Allahu akhbar" (God is greater), aims and fires twice, missing each time. The third shot hits her in the back, she flings her arms wide and collapses. He then fires another six shots into her body as the crowd cheers wildly, shouting "Long live Islam", "Long live mujahideen (holy warriors)". The gunman then fires four more shots into her body. The government issued a statement on Sunday saying it "strongly condemns this un-Islamic and inhuman action by those professional killers and has ordered the Parwan police to find the culprits and bring them to justice".

Within one hour they decided that she was guilty and sentenced her to death. The Afghanistan Human Rights Commission also expressed outrage. Its executive director Mohammad Musa Mahmodi said: "We condemn any killings done without proper trial. It is un-Islamic and against any human rights values." Hague shocked and disgusted British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Sunday he was "shocked and disgusted" by reports that the Taliban had executed the woman.

The British government condemned the "deplorable" action and called upon Afghanistan's rulers to bring the perpetrators to justice. "I am shocked and disgusted by [the] reports," Mr Hague said. "Such deplorable actions underline the vital need for better protection of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan." He explained that the British government was working with its Afghan counterparts, NGOs and international partners to improve the status of women in Afghanistan. Clinton makes plea for women The killing came as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a powerful plea on Sunday for the rights of women in Afghanistan, using a global forum to insist that they must be part of the country's future growth.

Mrs Clinton, who was addressing a world conference in Tokyo on Afghanistan's future, said: "The United States believes strongly that no nation can achieve peace, stability and economic growth if half the population is not empowered." She said the way forward "must include fighting corruption, improving governance, strengthening the rule of law [and providing] access to economic opportunity for all Afghans, especially for women". "All citizens need to have the chance to benefit from and contribute to Afghanistan's progress. The United States will continue to stand strongly by the women of Afghanistan," she added. But the execution video could renew concerns that Kabul is not doing enough to protect women, particularly from so-called honour killings, which were common during the Taliban regime that ruled from 1996 to 2001. The Taliban have since waged an insurgency against the government of President Hamid Karzai, which is supported by about 130,000 NATO troops.

According to figures provided by the US State Department, out of the 8 million students enrolled in schools today, nearly 40 per cent are girls. That contrasts sharply with 2002 when there were only 900,000 children in schools, virtually none of them girls. The US says there are now 175,000 teachers in Afghanistan, about a third of them women, thanks to $US316 million ($310 million) spent on education initiatives. US officials said Mrs Clinton had raised the issue of women's rights with Mr Karzai during her brief visit to Kabul on Saturday, warning that they were a litmus test for the country's progress. The Tokyo talks have raised pledges of $US16 billion in civilian aid for the conflict-torn nation over the next four years. Loading

Representatives from more than 80 nations and international organisations gathering in the Japanese capital later adopted the "Tokyo Declaration", pledging support and cash for Kabul. AFP