Peace committee member shot dead in Swat

Seventy-year-old Saadullah had served as peace committee member between 2009 and 2010

MATTA: Unidentified armed men killed a former member of a peace committee in Swat in early hours of Tuesday.

Saadullah Khan was was shot dead near his house in the village Sher Palam. The assailants managed to escape the scene.

According to the locals, 70-year-old Saadullah had served as peace committee member between 2009 and 2010 when Pakistan Army was fighting militants as part of Rah-e-Raast operation. However, he later disassociated himself from the committee.

No one has claimed responsibility for the killing as yet but officials suspect involvement of militants.

In the past couple of months, around 60 people from Swat and Buner - associated with peace committees and lashkars - have been mysteriously assassinated.

Deceased Saadullah was a supporter of former federal and provincial minister Fateh Mohammad Khan whose family is associated with Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz for a very long time.