Protesters accuse MPA, police of backing 'killers' of three brothers.

LAHORE -- Scores of residents of Pakpatan district on Monday lodged a protest outside the Punjab Assembly against the murder of three members of a family, alleging a local member of provincial assembly was protecting the murderers.

The protesters, including family members of the three victims and their other relatives assembled outside the Punjab Assembly.

They alleged that the armed men had opened indiscriminate fire on three brothers -- Irshad, Mumtaz and Tanvir -- on Nov 2 when they were going to a court to appear in the hearing of case filed against the attackers.

He claimed the attackers were identified as Zafar Ali, Asif, Faiz, Imran, Adnan and two unidentified armed men.

DPO rejects charges

One of the protesters, Tariq Ali, said the armed men attacked the three brothers in the jurisdiction of Malka Hans police station, leaving them dead on the spot.

He alleged that after killing the victims the attackers took shelter in the outhouse (Dera) of a local PTI MPA, who was backing them. He also alleged the Pakpatan police were reluctant to arrest the prime suspect, Zafar Ali, because of political pressure.

The family members and relatives of the victims appealed to the Punjab chief minister to take...