PESHAWAR, Dec 12: The police have failed to arrest four alleged killers of two brothers, who were murdered this year in Machi, a hamlet near Rustam village, 29km from Mardan.

“Despite the registration of two FIRs with Rustam police station, the police have failed to arrest the culprits,” said Amrez Khan, brother of the deceased.

The daily-wager Amrez Khan told Dawn here on Thursday that he had to leave the village as the killers were still at large and were threatening to kill other members of his family if he again approached the police.

He informed that on Feb 20, 2002, four notorious burglars of Machi — Jawad, Bakhat Zamin, sons of Sher; Faqir Gul, son of Mian Gul and Naeem Sher, son of Masil Khan — entered their house and started collecting valuables at gunpoint.

They were demanding money from them, and when they did not oblige them, they allegedly killed his brother Najeem Khan, he maintained.

His family was reluctant to register the FIR because they feared retaliation from the killers if they contacted the police, Amrez Khan said.

But on the encouragement of other people, an FIR was registered with Rustam police station. “Exactly after two days the accused again barged into my house and killed my brother, Sher Ali,” Amrez Khan said.

Despite having registered two FIRs, the police have not taken any action, he said.

He said that the remaining member of his family had been shifted to Peshawar because the alleged murderers were still at large.

He appealed to the government to provide justice and arrest the four killers.