SWAT/
KOHAT:
A former peace committee member was shot dead in Swat while a faith healer was stabbed to death in Kohat district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) in what appears to be targeted attacks by militants.
Police told The Express Tribune that in the far-flung area of Ashar, Char Bagh Swat, Muhammad Khan was murdered by unidentified assailants when he was on his way home after offering his night prayers at a local mosque. He died on the spot and the attackers managed to escape.
“Muhammad Khan was formally affiliated with peace committee which was established by the army in order to collect intelligence on the militants after the operation against Taliban in 2009,” said a police official, addingthatsoonafterthe attack a large contingent of police and security forces reached the spot and conducted a door to door search operation.
The attack caused widespread panic among the locals as in recent days provincial government and police claimed that the area had been cleared of militants and their mountain top positions had been disbanded.
An FIR was registered and police opened investigation in the case.
In a separate incident, an 80-year-old faith healer was stabbed to death by two unidentified persons in Ghari Binoryan, Kohat district.
Police said that early in the morning, two men entered the hujra of Syed Rafiullah Shah and put him to death brutally. He had an office inside his hujra where he sold amulets and the attackers posed as buyers.
His son lodged an FIR with police. Police said that a servant of the deceased witnessed the murder and cried for help but it was too late as the assailants had managed to escape.
Police believed that the attack was linked with militancy as some militant groups considered amulets and faith healing a sin.
Source link: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2391320/swat-ex-peace-committee-member-shot-dead