Islamabad  - Nine members of a family perished early Friday in a fire in Pakistan's eastern province of Punjab, media reports said.

The house of a local mayor, Sheikh Mohammad Aslam, was gutted by the pre-dawn blaze believed to have been caused by faulty electrical wiring, the private Geo news channel reported.

Aslam, his parents, wife and children died in the blaze that took place in Nankana Sahib district.

Television images showed half-melted plastic items and other charred remains in the burnt-out building. (dpa)