SARGODHA Six people allegedly shot a tehsil nazim and his two gunmen dead apparently over rivalry near Sillanwali, some 40 kilometres away from here, on Monday. The police later booked a treasury member of the Punjab Assembly after allegations of his involvement in the triple-murder were leveled by the nazim's family.

According to the police, tehsil nazim Raja Changez Shaukat Kiyani along with his gunmen, Mumtaz and Aslam, was coming to his office in Sillanwali from his village Chak-56 NB when six suspects, including Saifullah Warraich, travelling in a black car ambushed him in the outskirts of the tehsil headquarters and sprayed a volley of bullets on his vehicle. The sudden attack did not give the nazim's guards any chance to retaliate and they also died along with Kiyani.

Saifullah and others are believed to be old rivals of the slain nazim. The nazim's family alleged that Kiyani had been gunned down at the behest of MPA Rana Munawwar Ghaus, of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). According to them, the MPA considered Kiyani his major opponent in local politics.

Kiyani belonged to the group of MNA Chaudhry Anwar Ali Cheema of the PML-Q which is thought to be a rival of the MPA's camp.

The Sillanwali police have registered a case under Section 302, 148, 149 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code against 10 people, including MPA Ghaus.

When contacted, Munawwar Ghaus said he had no grudge against the nazim. He alleged that his opponents wanted to harm him politically by implicating him in false cases. The PPP MPA said that he was innocent and would not succumb to the blackmail of what he called 'political monopolists.'