PESHAWAR, March 20: Three people received injuries when rival groups exchanged fire in local bodies by-elections here on Saturday, police said.

The injured men were sent to the Government Lady Reading Hospital where condition of two of them is stated to be serious.

Officials said that presiding officer also suspended polling for about an hour in union council Chamkani after firing incident while elections in three other union councils remained peaceful.

The MPA of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal from Chamkani area, Khalid Waqar Chamkani has been nominated by the rival group in the FIR registered at Chamkani police station.

Police said the incident took place at Mustafa Street between the supporters of an MPA Khalid Waqar Chamkani and Wasil Farooq advocate. They claimed that exchange of hot words took place between the two groups after which they started firing at each other.

Both parties have registered FIRs against each other.

The three injured MohammadAyaz, Waheedullah and Habibullah received bullet injuries. The condition of Ayaz and Waheedullah was stated to be serious. For their injuries the MPA Khalid Waqar and his brother Farman Ali has been charged.-Bureau