Another falls: Peace committee member killed in Malam Jabba

More than 10 volunteers have been killed in Swat in the past four months.

MINGORA:

Another peace committee member was shot dead by unidentified men in Ser village of Malam Jabba, Swat on Saturday.

According to the Telgram police station, Javed Hussain, a peace committee member from Parkhey Telgram, was shot dead by unidentified persons in Ser village when he was out for some work. “I was informed about the incident in the morning and rushed to the site of the attack,” Telgram police station In charge Rahim Khan said. He added soon after the incident, security forces reached the spot and launched a joint search operation with the police in the area.

According to locals familiar with the matter, Hussain had been a major target and had escaped several attempts on his life previously. Targeted attacks on peace committee members have increased in recent days and 10 people have died in similar incidents during the last four months.

Peace committee volunteers in Swat complain the government has completely failed to give them security.

“We are helping security forces as true citizens fighting for peace and prosperity of our country. However, law enforcement and the government have failed to provide us security and many of our friends have been killed as a result,” said president of All Swat Hotel Association, Zahid Khan, who is also a peace committee member. In May 2012, Zahid himself was injured in a targeted attack  in Swat.

President of Nepkikhel peace committee and militia leader Idrees Khan highly condemned the incident. “All the village defence committee members in Swat are highly grieved by the murder. Law enforcement agencies and the district government must take note that our members are being killed continuously and nobody has been arrested till now,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2013.