SIALKOT, May 4: Five members of a family were killed as the roof of their room caved in at Mohallah Badiana of Pasrur tehsil on Monday morning. Reports said barber Ashraf had demolished two rooms of his house for reconstruction and dumped the debris on the old wooden roof of the third room.

Ashraf's father Maulvi Muhammad Hussain (72), his grandsons Tajjamul Hussain (14), Muzammal Hussain (12), Mubashar Hussain (10) and Qamar Hussain (8) were sleeping in that room when its roof caved in, killing them on the spot.

Ashraf had gone for morning walk. District Nazim Mian Naeem Javaid, DCO Syed Tahir Raza Naqvi were among the large number of people who offered the funeral prayers of Muhammad Hussain and his grandsons.

The residents of the area have announced four-day mourning.

CUT IN GST DEMANDED: The local business community has urged the federal government to reduce the general sales tax (GST) rate in the coming budget. Talking to newsmen, Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) president Tahir Majid Kapur, Pakistan Sports Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association chairman Sheikh Yunas Soni and office-bearers of other trade bodies said cut in the sales tax would expedite the business activities and enhance the government revenue.

They said inordinate delay in the payment of ST refund claims by the CBR was discouraging the exporters. The office-bearers demanded zero rate ratio of GST and suggested reduction in income tax for promoting capital formation and enhancing people's purchasing power.

Rapist kidnaps victim: An alleged rapist with the help of his mother, brother and sister kidnapped the girl he raped from her house on refusal of her parents to marry her with him.

An influential man of Raja Ghumman village, Nadeem Ashraf, raped the daughter of a labourer about a month ago. A case was registered against him on the complaint of the father of the girl.

Later, Nadeem sent a proposal to the family of his victim. The girl's family turned down his proposal. On it, Nadeem, his mother Safina, brother Naeem and sister Samina entered the house of the girl and kidnapped her. Daska police have registered a case against them with no arrest.

MURDER: A young man fell prey to old enmity in Baqarpur village, Daska. Yousaf, 22, was shot dead allegedly by Gharib Nawaz and Sarfraz. Motra police have registered a against with no arrest.