NOWSHERA: Gunmen entered a house here on Sunday and shot dead a college student after taking the inmates hostage at gunpoint in Shahab Khel area.

The relatives and local residents placed the student`s body on the GT road at Hakeemabad to protest against the murder.

The protesters chanted slogans against the police and the provincial government.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak took notice of the incident and directed district police officer to submit a report immediately, a police official said.

Police said two assailants Bashir Zada and Saleem Zada of Sawrkhel area reportedly entered the house of Shah Hussain and took the inmates hostage. They later brought Zahid Khan, son of Shah Hussain, to the main gate of the house and shot him dead and then escaped.

Due to blockade of the road, long queues of vehicles had formed on both sides of the road, troubling passengers.

Later, a police team led by District Police Officer Hafiz Wahid Mehmood held talks with the protesters and assured them of arresting the culprits, after which they dispersed.

Police said the body was shifted to the district headquarters hospital, Nowshera, for autopsy.

Nowshera Kalan police registered a case and started further investigations.

Meanwhile, no polio case has been reported in the district during the previous year due to combined efforts of health department and the Unicef.

This was claimed by district health officer Dr Arshad Ahmad Khan while talking to media persons here on Sunday. He said 927 polio teams supported by elected representatives of local government had vaccinated 260,058 children in the district.

He said the teams were sensitised through capacity building workshops.

He also praised Maulana Samiul Haq for extending full support to the anti-polio teams.-Correspondent