MARDAN: A property dispute claimed lives of a woman and her three sons in Rasheed Abad area here on Tuesday, the police said.

They said the victims were identified as Ms Shaheen, wife of Rahim Gul, and her sons, Numan, 26, Usman, 24 and Irfan, 21.

The alleged killer, who fled the scene, was identified as Fawad.

Officials of the relevant Hoti police station quoted Liaba, 18, daughter of the slain woman, as saying that she along with her mother and brothers was present inside their house when the accused knocked at the door.

She said that as her brother, Irfan, went to see who was knocking at the door, the alleged killer, Fawad, shot him dead before entering their house. She said the man then started indiscriminate fire, killing her mother and two other brothers on the spot, while she narrowly escaped.

She cited a dispute over their house with the accused as the reason leading to killing of her mother and three brothers.

The accused, who was also residing in the neighbourhood, wanted to buy the victims’ house as per the price of his choice, but the owners refused.

The police registered an FIR against the accused on the complaint of Liaba.

The officials said they had started making raids to arrest the alleged killer.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2023