MULTAN, Feb 21: Five members of a family, including two women, were murdered in Chak 110/12-L, some 140km from here in Chichawatni, Sahiwal district, on Thursday morning.

Reports revealed some assailants murdered Tanveer Shah, 60, his wife Naseem, 55, son Ghulam Husain, 32, daughter-in-law Kalsoom, 28, and another son Qasim, 18. His son Qaisar Husain, 23, and one-year-old grand daughter were the two survivors.

The assailants reportedly used some sharp-edged weapons and revolver of deceased Tanveer Shah in the crime. Faces of the deceased were mutilated and difficult to be recognized. The television set was found mysteriously from the rooftop.

Qaisar told police that he and his niece were asleep in the outhouse when he heard Kalsoom screaming. He claimed ‘being frightened, I did not open the door of the outhouse till the assailants left the place.’

Information gleaned by this correspondent said Tanveer Shah was a small landlord who owned 25 acres of the government land under the ‘Ghorri Pal Scheme’ (stud farm). He belonged to shia community while his wife was sunni. However, he had no concern with any sectarian activities.

When contacted, Multan Range DIG Iftikhar Ahmad Chaudhry told this correspondent that the police would not rule out any option to look into the case. ‘It could be a terrorists’ act or the outcome of a family feud,’ he added.

He, however, said initial reports did not favour the supposition that the crime might have sectarian traces as terrorists brought their own arms and had not used sharp-edged weapons in any of the previous incidents. He claimed the assailants gunned down their targets and fled away. ‘The terrorists do not stay at the place of crime for as long as to mutilate the bodies,’ he suggested.

He said he had dispatched a team of police officials to Chichawatni for investigation.

The bodies were sent to the mortuary for post-mortem.

Chichawatni Saddar police have yet to register the case.