Woman, her two kids 'poisoned to death'

Police suspect victims were murdered; husband missing

PESHAWAR:

The bodies of a woman and her two children have been found in the Zaryab Colony area of Peshawar. It is suspected that all three were poisoned.

The police have transferred the bodies to the morgue for a postmortem examination and have begun searching for the husband to determine the cause of the deaths.

According to Faqirabad Police Station, they received information on Wednesday that the bodies of a woman and two children were inside a house in Zaryab Colony. The police arrived at the scene, took custody of the bodies, and sent them for a postmortem.

The woman has been identified as Sana, wife of Sajjad, while the deceased children include her four-year-old daughter Iqra and three-year-old son Tufail. Sajjad, who hails from Taru Jabba, Nowshera, had recently shifted to Zaryab Colony and was living with his 25-year-old wife, two-year-old son, and three-year-old daughter.

According to police, Sajjad called his father-in-law the night before, saying he was leaving for Dubai and that his wife and children were at home, but they were not answering their phones. When the relatives arrived, the house was locked. They broke the lock and found the bodies of the woman and her children inside.

Police reported that Sajjad was seen in the area late at night. A case has been registered, and the search for Sajjad has begun. SP Talal Ahmed Shah stated that it appears the three were poisoned, but the truth will only be revealed after the postmortem report.

Peshawar's SSP Operations, Kashif Zulfiqar, told The Express Tribune that the forensic report will clarify the facts, and the lab results of stomach contents will reveal the chemical consumed. However, based on initial observations, it seems they were poisoned.

SSP Operations confirmed that it is neither a case of suicide nor shooting, and investigations are ongoing. A complete report is expected within 48 hours.

This is the latest case to send shockwaves through the city. The brutal August murder of a woman and her four children in the Shahpur area of Peshawar, just outside their home, remains unsolved.

The woman, along with her three daughters and son, was murdered over a dispute involving a small piece of land. The attack took place when they were returning to their village from Peshawar city in a rickshaw after shopping. This tragic incident received heavy criticism on social media.

However, two months have passed, and the main culprits have not yet been arrested. The officer leading the case in Shahpur told Express that two suspects involved in the killing of the five individuals have been granted bail, while the main culprits have fled, abandoning their homes and the area.

The police team is working on the case and expects to make arrests soon.

Similarly, another case in Bilal Town, within the jurisdiction of Hashtnagri Police Station, involving a daytime robbery at a barbershop, has also seen no progress despite two months passing. Two robbers on motorcycles had held up customers and staff at gunpoint, stealing nine mobile phones and Rs25,000 in cash before fleeing.