MARDAN: Rivals shot dead three persons in front of the residence of former federal minister Khawaja Mohammad Khan Hoti here when they were returning home from a court hearing.

Hoti police station officials said the victims identified as Hasnain, 17, Awais, 34, and Hamtaj alias Babo, 37, hailed from Gari Kapoora area. They said the victims visited the Mardan courts to attend a hearing fixed for Wednesday.

The police officials said the victims were attacked by rivals when they stopped for taking launch at a hotel in Thoru Chowk Bazaar. The assailants fled the scene soon after committing the crime.

The police officials lodged FIR of the incident on the complaint of Jawad, a relative of the victims, against the accused identified as Arshad, Hamad, Humair, Alamgir, Salar, Alamzeb and Zahoor.

Officials said they had cordoned off the area and the surrounding localities to ensure early arrest of the culprits.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2020