PESHAWAR, June 23: The police have solved three murder cases and arrested five people while the remaining accused would be arrested shortly, an official said on Sunday.

Speaking at a press conference at the police headquarters, city police chief Tanvirul Haq Sipra said that on June 14, Tahira Hashim, wife of former banker Hashim Khan, was killed in Ghufran Habib locality of the Kohati area. He said the police after investigation had identified Mohammad Idrees, brother of Hashim Khan, as the murderer.

He said Ms Hashim was killed as she had refused to give money demanded  by the suspect. He killed his brother’s wife with connivance of some accomplices, who would be arrested soon, the official asserted.

The police also solved the murder case of Razia Sultana, wife of National Bank official Jamil Waris, who was killed in her house on June 14, and found clues indicating the involvement of a maidservant, Zainab, in the case, he said. The suspect escaped from the house but the police arrested four of her accomplices who had committed the murder, he said.

Mr Sipra said that on April 14, a transporter, Haji Anjum Gul, was killed and there was no evidence but the investigation team found the clue through the murder of his old friend, bank officer Haider Zaman, who was killed on June 21, 2001, in Phase IV of Hayatabad Township. “Mr Zaman was killed by murderers hired by Haji Anjum, who had developed a rivalry with his friend over some monetary issue,” the city police chief said. Mr Zaman’s sister Sameen had hired men after here brother’s murder to kill Haji Anjum, Mr Sipra claimed.

He said the suspect had obtained a bail before arrest and the hired murderers were in the tribal belt. He claimed that the murderers would soon be nabbed with the cooperation of the local administration.