SHEIKHUPURA, Jan 8: Five people were killed and three others were injured when rivals allegedly traded fire in Mian Colony in Factory Area police precincts on Sunday.

Two groups headed by Arshad Jatt and Sharif Arian had rivalry over property disputes. Members of both the rival groups had an argument on Sunday followed by exchange of fire as a result of which Ashraf, alias Achhy, of Arian group, Babar, Tariq and Zafar, of Jatt group, and Shahzad, a passerby, were killed on the spot. Three passersby also sustained bullet injuries and were taken to Mayo Hospital in Lahore.

Labourers protest: Scores of labourers protested on Sunday the closure of electric manufacturing equipment company (EMCO) allegedly owing to loadshedding.

The protesters blocked the Lahore Road and chanted slogans against unscheduled electricity and gas outages which led the closure of dozens of factories, rendering thousands of labourers jobless.

EMCO labour union president Akram Gujjar and general-secretary Yousaf Awan said rulers were not taking any step to resolve the electricity and gas loadshedding. Another leader Javed Shah said that owing to rulers’ bad policies, the labourers had been compelled to face starvation. Vehicular traffic on Lahore Road remained suspended for two hours. Later, police intervened to restore the traffic.