On Wednesday, a tragic incident occurred in the Domail area of Bannu district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), where a man suffering from mental stress killed his four children and then committed suicide.
The police were informed about the presence of the bodies, and upon investigation, it was revealed that all five belonged to one family.
The adult man was identified as Aqleem Khan, a daily wage earner, and his four children were identified as Owais, Abu Zar, Sufyan, and a girl named Maryam.
According to DSP Domail Shad Ali Khan, Aqleem Khan took all of his children from the residence of his in-laws, telling them that he wanted to take them on an outing. He then intoxicated them with injections and shot them in the head. Aqleem Khan later committed suicide, and a 9 mm pistol was found near his body.
The widow of the deceased Aqleem Khan informed the police that her husband had been suffering from stress and depression for the past five months and was under treatment.
Aqleem’s brother also confirmed that he was under treatment for mental health issues for several months.
District Police Officer (DPO) Bannu, Ziaudin Ahmad, visited the site of the incident and met the family of the victims.
He confirmed that the case would be properly investigated from all aspects, and all the bodies had been sent for autopsy to ascertain the cause of death. The police have also found the drugs and injection used by Aqleem Khan to intoxicate his children.
“He sent his children to his in-laws as per the yearly routine. He did it with planning,” his brother said.
DPO maintained that the case will be properly investigated from all aspects and all the bodies had been sent for autopsy to ascertain the cause of the death.
“We have found the drugs and injection used by the accused to intoxicate his children,” he disclosed.
The incident has caused widespread panic in the district, with local residents claiming that financial problems may have been the main cause of Aqleem Khan’s stress and depression.
The devaluation of the rupee against the dollar in recent years has hit the middle and lower-middle classes hard, with the prices of daily use commodities reaching a record high.
It is important to address the underlying issues that contribute to such tragic incidents, including mental health problems and financial difficulties. The government and society must work together to provide support and resources to those in need, to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 27th, 2023.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ