CHARSADDA, May 10: Two people were killed in a shootout between rival groups in the main bazaar of Charsadda town on Friday.

Yasir told the police that he and Janas Khan were sitting in a PCO in the main bazaar when two assailants Qaisar and Bilal, residents of Rajjar locality, opened fire on them, killing Janas Khan on the spot, while he was injured.

In the cross-firing, a man Ashfaq from Qaiser’s party was also killed. The police are investigating.

In another incident on Thursday, one Waris Khan, who was injured in an attack by his rivals, told the police in hospital that he had come to the courts to attend a case. On return from the courts, he was shopping in tehsil bazar when his rivals opened fire on him, injuring Waris Khan and Zahid, the shopkeeper. Waris later died of his injuries.

On Wednesday, one Liaquat Khan was killed in a firing incident between two rival parties in front of the district and sessions court in the main bazaar.

Meanwhile, the business community on Friday said that the increasing incidents of violence in the bazaar was a clear proof of the failure of police force and warned that if immediate steps were not taken for restoring a sense of safety and security in the business community, they would take direct action.

At a press conference, Ihsanullah Surki, president of the Shopkeepers Association, traders’ representatives Faqir Hussain, Saleh Shah and Mufariq Shah demanded removal of the concerned police officials.

They lamented that the government had failed to provide security to the business community, and incidents of firing in the bazaar had become a routine.