CHARSADDA: Noted Sikh hakeem Pram Jeet Singh and his assistant were gunned down in busy Shabqadar bazaar here on Thursday.

Local residents said four gunmen stormed Pram Jeet Singh’s dawakhana (clinic) and opened indiscriminate fire on Pram Jeet Singh and his assistant Zahid Khan killing both instantly.

They said the gunmen fled brandishing weapons afterwards.

No group claimed responsibility for the killing by night.

Syed Asghar, father of deceased Zahid Khan, filed an FIR against unidentified attackers with local police, which later began investigation in the killings. It is the second such incident in the district this year.

On January 24, noted Sikh hakeem Bagwan Singh was gunned down in Tangi area.

Sikhs, who have been living in the district for centuries, have voiced concern over targeted attacks against members of their community and demanded protection of their life and property. The traders have also urged the government to provide them with foolproof security.

EXCHANGE OF FIRE CLAIMS LIFE: A man was killed, while his brother and a police constable suffered injuries in exchange of fire in Sarkai area here on Thursday.

Police said a team of Charsadda and Sarkai police raided the house of Faisal Amir and arrested him for interrogation in a case but his brother opened fire on police injuring a constable and his brother.

They said hawaldar Sajid returned fire killing Shiraz on the spot.

Until the filing of the report, police didn’t register FIR of the incident.

Meanwhile, relatives along with local people protested the ‘killing’ of Shiraz and placed his body at Farooq Azam Chowk blocking roads leading to it for hours.

The stick-wielding protesters shouted slogans against police and demanded strict action against the personnel responsible for the incident.

They also called for a judicial inquiry into the ‘killing’. Later in the day, Assistant Commissioner of Charsadda Saiful Islam and police officers held talks with local elders.

The protesters dispersed peacefully after the assistant commissioner promised to form a four-member committee to look into the incident.