PESHAWAR: A cracker blast occurred outside the residence of a Pakistan Peoples Party leader in the Akhund Abad locality of the city on Friday. However, there were no casualties, police said.

A police official said the incident took place at around 4pm when a cracker blast took place outside the residence of Haji Umar Khitab, a former nazim of Afridi Abad union council in the limits of Phandu police station.

The official said the blast took place outside the hujra’s main gate; however, no one was hurt.

The official said Mr Khitab was an army contractor and had been receiving calls from Afghanistan demanding extortion for some time. The official said the contractor had earlier approached Phandu police with a complaint regarding extortion calls.

The Counter-Terrorism Department registered FIR and started further investigations.

Separately, a woman was shot dead by her husband in the limits of Faqirabad police station. Police said the woman left her home along with two children after an argument with her husband. However, her husband pursued her and shot her dead. — Bureau Report