Pakistan - Researched and compiled by the Refugee Documentation Centre of Ireland on Monday 3 & Tuesday 4 December 2012 Information on village defence committees in Swat from 2012, including if members were killed between April & September; A report published by Dawn in November 2012 notes: “The Pakistan Army has planned to set up its selection board and recruitment centre in Swat, according to a local military commander. “Youngsters of this area will no more go to Rawalpindi and Peshawar for recruitment to the army. Measures have been taken to establish the Army Selection Board and Recruitment Centre here, too,” Pakistan Army’s Operational Commander in Malakand division Major General Ghulam Qamar said during the first meeting of the Youth Defence Committee Council in Khwazakhela area.Major General Qamar said Village Defence Committees were renamed Youth Defence Committee Council to provide opportunities to youths for playing active role in restoration of peace and development in Swat” (Dawn (18 November 2012) Army recruitment centre in Swat soon). A report issued in November 2012 by the Express Tribune notes: “Swat / Timergara: The Tehreek-i-Taleban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the recent target killings of peace committee members in Swat. According to a local media person, TTP spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed responsibility for the target killings and said that the attacks were proof of TTP allies still existing in Swat. During the last two weeks, three people have been gunned down and two injured in three separate attacks on peace committee members” (Express Tribune (2 November 2012) Pakistan Taleban claim responsibility for northwest peace body members' killing). This article also states: “A local peace committee member, Ibrar, said that the people of Swat were not in favour of the militants and did not want to see them returning. "Peace committees have been formed to keep an eye on the absconded militants' return and to timely inform the security forces if they find any such elements in their area. That is why, the peace committee members are targeted by them [Taliban] but we want to tell them clearly that such actions would not discourage us and we will continue with our mission," he said” (ibid). The News in November 2012 notes: “Mingora: a local defence committee here Tuesday [9 November] asked the members of a grand jirga [council of elders] to promptly inform it about the presence of militants in their respective areas. The defence committee in Bara Bandai Union Council of Kabal tehsil [sub-district] had convened the jirga to take stock of the situation arising out of display of threatening posters by militants. Addressing the jirga, Idrees Khan, head of the peace body, said they would not be cowed down by threats of the militants. He said the militants had no power to confront the forces and they have resorted to pasting posters at night to stir up tension among the locals. The militants had pasted posters in Bara Bandai to warn the members of village defence committee to quit the body or get ready for the consequences” (The News (10 November 2012) Pakistan's Swat peace body says will not be "cowed down" by militants' threats). Mingora is a city in Swat district. A publication in November 2010 by the Express Tribune notes: “Formation of village defence committees to curtail target killings and maintenance of peace as foremost priority were amongst the resolutions passed at the meeting of Nepki Khel Aman Jirga, the largest peace council, working with security forces, for restoring peace and order in Tehsil Kabal of the Swat valley” (Express Tribune (17 November 2010) Owning peace in Swat). In August 2010 a document published by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan points out that: “The Swat DCO also stated that unlike places such as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Dir, there were no lashkars in Swat. There are village defence committees (VDCs) and their main task is to share information with the law- enforcement agencies regarding militants and to help the army in cordoning off some areas in time of need. Lashkars act on their own, while the VDCs in Swat are subservient to the security forces” (Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (5 August 2010) Swat: Paradise Regained? Report of an HRCP Fact-Finding Mission). DCO is an acronym for District Coordination Officer. Citing an external source, a report published in June 2012 by the United Kingdom Home Office notes: “The Economist Intelligence Unit…noted…that... the government and the military have encouraged the creation of lashkars (village militias) to help to counter the threat posed by TTP and TTP-linked groups in FATA and neighbouring parts of the NWFP. The government and the military provide intelligence and ‗logistical support‘ (which may or may not include arms) to the militias; villagers provide arms of their own, ranging from guns to axes to sticks..” (United Kingdom Home Office (7 June 2012) Pakistan, Country Of Origin Information (COI) Report, P.34). TTP is an acronym for the Tehrik-E-Taliban Pakistan; Swat lies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (formerly NWFP). A report issued by Dawn in October 2012 states: “Gunmen shot dead two members of an anti-Taliban peace committee in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat valley, where militants tried to murder schoolgirl activist Malala Yousufzai, police said Friday” (Dawn (26 October 2012) Gunmen kill two anti-Taliban elders in Swat). In August 2012 Dawn notes: “A member of village defence committee in Maidan, Lower Dir, identified as Khan Shehzada was killed when unknown miscreants opened fire on him at Gumbat Banda area on Sunday evening, residents told Dawn” (Dawn (13 August 2012) Village defence body member killed in Dir). Lower Dir is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where Swat also resides. No further information on this issue could be found among sources available to the RDC. Information on village defence committees in Swat during February 2010; No information on village defence committees in Swat during February 2010 could be found among sources available to the RDC. The following documents refer to them in/around that period. A report issued in April 2011 commenting on events of the preceding year by the United States Department of State notes that: “On April 19, two members of a progovernment village defense committee were shot and killed and three others, including a woman, were injured by assailants in the Koza Bandai area of Swat District” (United States Department of State (8 April 2011) 2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - Pakistan, Section 1g Use of Excessive Force and Other Abuses in Internal Conflicts/Killings). A document by Plus News in April 2010 states: “Two more members of a pro-government village defence committee were shot dead and three others, including a woman, were wounded by unidenfied armed men in a series of target killings in the Swat district on Monday” (Plus News (20 April 2010) Pakistan: Two shot dead in Swat). Information on village defence committees relationship with the Taliban; A publication issued in December 2012 by the Express Tribune states: “A body of a member of the local peace committee was found in Haleemzai, Mohmand Agency on Saturday [1 December]” (The Express Tribune (2 December 2012) Pakistan Taleban claim responsibility for killing peace volunteer in tribal area). In October 2012 BBC News states: “At least 15 people have been killed and up to 30 wounded in a car bomb attack on a market in north-west Pakistan, local security officials say. Some reports said a suicide attacker detonated the bomb in the town of Darra Adam Khel near the Khyber tribal area. It was apparently aimed at a pro-government militia set up to fight the Taliban, local security officials said” (BBC News (13 October 2012) Pakistan Darra Adam Khel market bombing 'kills 15'). This document also states that: “The blast occurred outside the office of the local "peace committee" - a group of militants who used to fight with the Taliban but switched sides and now support local elders and the government” (ibid). In November 2012 a report by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty states: “A suicide bomber has killed the head of a local peace committee in northwestern Pakistan and at least five others. The suicide bomber blew himself up in front of Fateh Khan's vehicle in Daggar, the capital of Buner district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province” (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (3 November 2012) Bombing Kills Six In Northwest Pakistan). This document also states: “The Taliban frequently targets the members of tribal forces, also called peace committees, for helping government forces in their operations against the militants” (Ibid). A report released by the Agence France Presse in April 2011 states: “A suicide bomber targeting a pro-government tribe on Saturday killed at least eight people and wounded 11 others at a market in a restive Pakistani tribal area, officials said. The attacker blew himself up at Pasht bazaar in the northwestern Salarzai region, some 35 kilometres (20 miles) from Khar, the main town of the restive Bajaur tribal district, which borders Afghanistan. Earlier the officials had said a timed bomb exploded. "Initially it looked like a bomb blast, but later investigators found out that it was a suicide bombing and the body of the attacker was also found," local government official Saad Mohammad told AFP. "Eight people were killed and 11 others were wounded in the attack," he added. Health department official Khan Saeed said that condition of three of the wounded was critical. "Two tribal elders, Malik Tehsil Khan and Malik Mayn Jan also died in the bomb blast," local government official Irshad Khan told AFP. "We think that they were the main targets because they were the senior members of local peace committee which has formed a lashkar (tribal force) against the Taliban," he added.