LAHORE, Aug 30: Three brothers were shot dead allegedly by their neighbour on a money dispute near Sahowari Drain in Mughalpura on Tuesday, witnesses and police said.

The shooting, which occurred in a broad daylight, triggered panic among the motorists and passerby who took cover to save their lives.

Mughalpura police investigation showed that 48-year-old Kabir, 40-year-old Rasheed and 30-year-old Naeem, all residents of Sahowari, were going to Allama Iqbal International Airport along with their driver when the suspect, identified as Zahid Naseem, intercepted their vehicle at Sahowari Drain and opened indiscriminate fire on the vehicle with a pistol.

Rasheed was to travel to the UK and his brothers, who also lived in the UK, were going to drop him at the airport. The three brothers had arrived in Pakistan in connection with the death of their father one week ago.

Quoting witnesses, Mughalpura circle DSP Aftab Ahmad told Dawn the suspect, who was riding a motorcycle, fired at least 16 shots at the three brothers and fled. He said the driver remained unhurt.

The DSP said the suspect had chased the victims as he knew their schedule. He said the police seized 16 empty shells from the spot.

He said Kabir had lent some money to the suspect and when he asked Naseem to return his money, it led to a quarrel between them a couple of days back.

The victim’s driver, who was not the target of the suspect, alerted the police.

Police shifted the bodies to morgue for autopsy and registered a case against Zahid Naseem on the complaint of victims’ another brother.

Aftab Ahmad said though initially the police were told about some money dispute, but investigators would look into other aspects as well.

BODY: Chuhng police found the putrefied body of a 22-year-old man in Lahore link canal near Chuhng Police Training School and shifted it to morgue for autopsy on Tuesday.

The Chuhng SHO said it was a blind murder and the body was apparently several days old.