Doctor, wife and three children found dead in Karachi's Ahsanabad

The bodies of five members of the same family were recovered from a flat in Karachi's Ahsanabad area on Sunday, with police claiming that the bodies were several days old.

The deceased included a doctor, his wife and their three children. The husband was identified as Dr Umar.

According to police, the bodies were four to five days old and had badly decomposed. Residents of the building informed police after noticing a foul smell coming from the locked flat. Police subsequently broke open the door, which was locked from the inside.

The bodies of Dr Umar and his wife were recovered from one room, while the bodies of their three children were found in another room. The body of one child was found on a bed, while the other two were found on a mattress.

All five appeared to be lying in positions suggesting that they had been sleeping normally. Police found no apparent signs of resistance, violence, theft or robbery inside the flat.

Police have therefore raised the possibility that Dr Umar and his family might have died after ingesting some form of poison. Investigators also suspect that the deaths could be a case of collective suicide. However, the exact cause of death would only be determined after chemical examination.

The bodies were shifted to a hospital for post-mortem examinations. Doctors withheld the post-mortem report until the chemical examination report was received, after which the final cause of death would be established.

Based on statements from neighbours, police learned that Dr Umar and his family had good relations with those living in the area and were known for helping others. However, Dr Umar had reportedly been ill for some time and had been diagnosed with cancer. Following the diagnosis, he left his hospital job and was planning to move to Bahawalpur, Punjab.

According to preliminary police investigation, Dr Umar's wife had attempted to sell their oven for Rs10,000 last week, but a neighbour did not buy it and instead provided financial assistance of Rs2,000.

Police said they contacted Dr Umar’s brother in Bahawalpur and informed him about the incident. However, the brother reportedly expressed his estrangement from Dr Umar. Police were now searching for the deceased's family’s relatives living in Karachi.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah expressed grief over the deaths of five individuals and sought a report from the Inspector General (IG) of Police.

Shah said that a complete and transparent investigation into the incident must be conducted and all aspects of the incident examined, adding that the culprit must be brought to justice and face the strictest legal action.

Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar sought details of the incident, instructing Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) East to immediately provide a briefing on all initial police actions taken.

Lanjar said that the investigation and inquiry into the incident must bring the final facts to light, adding that the underlying factors and motives behind the incident must be determined by taking into account the eyewitness accounts and circumstantial evidence gathered from the scene.

The minister said that SSP East should ensure the investigation was effective and well-coordinated under his personal supervision, further instructing SSP East to update him on the investigation and progress of the case on a real-time basis.