HARIPUR: An unknown gunman shot dead a junkyard owner in broad daylight in Hattar Industrial Estate, police and witnesses said here on Monday.

Police quoted eyewitnesses as saying that Bakht Saboor Jan, a native of Bajaur tribal district, was running a junk shop in phase 2 of Hattar Industrial Estate.

On Monday morning he was busy arranging his shop when an unknown pistol-wielding man entered his shop and pumped six bullets in his body and fled.

The critically injured shopkeeper was shifted to the rural health centre in Kot Najibullah, but he could not survive and the doctors pronounced him dead.

The motive behind the murder was not known as his family has nominated an unknown person as the accused in the murder of Bakht Jan.

HOUSES CATCH FIRE: Furniture and other valuables were damaged when fire erupted in two houses in different parts of the district.

The cause of the fire was gas leakage, police and rescue sources said on Monday.

The first incident was reported from Kangra Colony where fire eruptedin a bed room of the house of Guld Dad due to gas leakage from a heater.

However, the fire engine and rescue workers arrived in time to prevent the fire from engulfing the entire home. The fire damaged the furniture, curtains and other belongings.

The second incident was reported from residential quarters along the GT Road, where a fire broke out in a room of a quarter.

However, the family remained safe as they rushed out and informed the Rescue 1122 whose firefighters reached the spot and put out the flame.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2020