Daily Times

A fire broke out in a house in Pir Jahanian, killing seven members of the same family, a private TV channel reported on Sunday.

According to rescue officials, the cause of the fire in the house has not been ascertained yet, but the death of seven people, including women and children, has been confirmed. The rescue workers said that four children and two women were among the victims.

Meanwhile, the state-run APP reported that the owner of the house has alleged that his in-laws set the house on fire. According to District Emergency Officer Rescue 1122 Dr Hussain Mian, Rescue 1122 received a call that four persons were stranded in a house, where a fire broke out suddenly. Subsequently, the fire tenders of Rescue 1122 rushed to the site and extinguished the fire.

The district emergency officer said that during the search, Rescue 1122, retrieved seven bodies that were identified as Muhammad Nawaz (65), Khursheed Mai (35), Fouzia Mai (19), Shah Nawaz (12), Sarfaraz (10), Yaqub (2), and a two-month-old baby. The owner of the house, named Mehboob, in an application submitted to Civil Line Police Station maintained that his house was set on fire by his in-laws, namely Manzoor and Sabir Hussain.

He alleged that members of his family were tied with ropes and then the house was set on fire.

Mehboob had contracted marriage with Fouzia Bibi, whose family were not happy with the move, APP said.

Police have registered a case and begun an investigation into the incident. Meanwhile, advisor to Chief Minister Abdul Hai Dasti reached the site and expressed sympathy with the bereaved family. Dasti said that Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar had taken notice of the mishap and that the government would provide legal and financial assistance to the bereaved family.