Nine members of a family were shot dead by relatives on Wednesday over a marriage dispute in northwest Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said.

The incident occurred in the Batkhela tehsil of Malakand district, and nine members of the same family, including three women and six men, were shot dead in their sleep by relatives who opened indiscriminate fire after barging into their house, police said.

According to the police, a marriage dispute was the reason behind the brutal killings, and an investigation into the case has been started.

After receiving the information, the provincial paramilitary force reached the crime scene and shifted the dead bodies to Batkhela Hospital for postmortem.

All entry and exit points of the district were sealed to help arrest the killers.

Caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan has directed police to expedite their efforts to arrest the accused.

"The accused will be brought to justice. The victim's family will be given justice," he said.

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